USA > Delaware > History of Delaware : 1609-1888 > Part 25
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87
'This last provision of the order had an effect
1
100
HISTORY OF DELAWARE.
that was little expected or still less desired. The colonial officers used their newly-acquired preroga- tive of pardon for the most venal purposes, and the most notorious pirates, who were able to pur- chase their immunity, went free and unmolested. while those whose booty had not been sufficient to satisfy the avarice of the officers suffered the full penalty of the law. Moreover, they were extremely careless in the legal processes which the less fortu- nate freebooters were compelled to undergo, and many were convicted unjustly, through a desire of those in power to seem zealous in their enforcement of the King's commands. But complaints soon reached the ears of those in London, and a second letter was written, this one addressed to William Penn himself and dated October 13, 1687. The King requested his servants in the colonies to remedy the abuses named, mentioning particularly the unfair trials. He went further, however, and removed from them all original anthority in the case of captured pirates, who were henceforth to be imprisoned until His Majesty's will should be known. In addition to this, Sir Robert Holmes was appointed a commissioner whose duty it was to decide in what cases pardon should be granted in pursuance of the first letter of instructions. In November the Privy Council met, published an order against pirates, and placed Sir Robert Holmes in command of a squadron to be sent out for the defense of the colonies, and as a reward for his services he was granted all property which might be taken from pirates within three years of the date of his commission. Early in the follow- ing year the King issued a royal proclamation condemning the pirates in the most severe terms and urging their hasty extirpation, commanding that those who, in contempt of His Majesty's orders, continue their abominable practices, be pursued " until they and every one of them be utterly destroyed and condemned."
Through these precautions the outrages per- petrated by the rovers of the sea were almost entirely abolished, and for a few years the inhabit- ants along the coast were able to manage their affairs in peace and contentment Still, there was always cause for anxiety, and in the commission creating Benjamin Fletcher Governor of Pennsylva- nia, in 1693, he was given authority to raise forees to protect the colonists against pirates. Later in the same year the Governor recommended the erection of a fort on the Delaware River near New Castle for the security and defense of trade and the inhabitants, to which the Council readily assented.
When once the surveillance was relaxed, how- ever, pirates again made their appearance. At a meeting of the Council held at Philadelphia in 1697, the Governor, William Markham, presented a letter from Penn, who was then in London
complaining of certain rumors which had reach | England, to the effect that the colonists had not only been lax in their opposition to the pirate- but had even harbored and protected them. Tl .. Council submitted this to a committee for investi. gation, and it was reported that these rumors wer. without foundation, that several of the crew of : pirate ship commanded by Avery (one of the most famous pirate captains) had been imprisoned an l escaped to New York, bat beyond this there could be no cause for complaint.
During the two years following, the andacity and impudence of the pirates continued to increase. On a September afternoon in 1698 there appeared off' the cape at the eastern extremity of Sussex County a small sloop, which, although it had been noticed by the inhabitants, was not suspected of having evil designs upon the village. Early the next morning, however, it suddenly bore down upon Lewistown and landed fifty men well armed and thoroughly equipped for sacking the place. They plundered almost every house, using force to secure an entrance, and battering to pieces every chest and box, after they had once obtained ad- mittance All money or valuables of whatever nature were carried off, and one of the townsmen remarked, in his plaintive wail before the Gover- nor's Council, that they were left with "scarce anything in the place to cover or wear." They killed a number of sheep and hogs and forced a number of the chief men of the town to assist them in carrying their booty on board, and even took the village carpenter prisoner. After having thus terrified and ruined the people they quietly, saded out into the bay and lay at anchor without fear of being attacked until a small brig appeared and tempted them to offer chase. The particulars of this occurrence were reported to the Council by four of the prominent citizens of Lewistown-Luke Watson, John Hill, Thomas Oldman, Jonathan Baily - who explained the dangers to which the town was exposed and asked for greater protection. The Council investigated the matter further, and it was learned that the sloop had been taken from John Redwood, of Philadelphia, as he was coming out of Cinnepuxon Inlet, by a pirate named Canoot. who abandoned his own vessel for a fleeter one. Many other crimes of similar nature were traced to Canoot and his pirate ship, and the Council at once empowered the Lieutenant-Governor to mus- ter such forees as should be required to defend the coast towns and pursue their enemies. The expense required for this work was ordered to be raised by provincial fax, but the daring Canoot made good his escape. Nevertheless, several conviction- of other pirates soon followed these new prudential measures, one of the most noteworthy being that of David Evans, who was accused of belonging to Avery's crew. This conviction was due largely to
101
PIRATES AND PRIVATEERS.
the efforts of Robert Snead, who industriously sought to seeure any evidence attainable against mien suspected of piracy. On one occasion, how- ever, his zeal carried him too far, and he was sum- moned before the Council for having advised the English authorities that Pennsylvania had become the greatest refuge for pirates in America, and that the officers refused to seize them, even when an opportunity presented itself. Although Snead promptly denied having written such reports, it appears that they were not altogether unwarrant- able, or, at least, the precautions taken were not such as would be in accord with more modern ideas of guarding prisoners. The cases of Robert Brandingham and William Stanton will furnish an apt illustration These two men were im- prisoned in the county jail of Philadelphia under suspicion of piracy, and the Lieutenant-Governor having heard that they were allowed too great liberty, demanded an explanation from the sheriff. That functionary admitted that the prisoners were allowed to stroll about the town, but never without his leave and a keeper, and added, by way of apology, that he thought this might be allowed in " hot weather." Notwithstanding, the stern Lieu- tenant-Governor was not to be moved by humani- tarian scruples, the sheriff was instructed to keep his prisoners in close confinement thereafter.
About the same time the Council delivered a severe reprimand to one of the Admiralty judges, Quarry. who had on his own account appre- hended two pirates and sent them to West Jersey' his only excuse being that he was extensively en- gaged in trade, and acted purely in self-defense.
Toward the close of the year 1699, the inhabit- ants of the county of New Castle, presented a petition to the Council setting forth their griev- anees, from which many points of interest regarding the pirates may be gleaned. They mention the plundering of Lewistown in the preceding year, and also the capture of the brigantine " Sweep- stakes," helonging to Col. Webb, a former Governor of Providence. This vessel. already laden and prepared for a voyage to England, was lying off the town of Now Castle. On the night previous to the day set for her departure she was attacked by thirteen pirate ships and carried off, with crew and cargo. The petition went on to mention the unfortunate situation of the town, the inability of the citizens to protect themselves from these on- slaughts, and finally, the insufficiency of the fortifi- cations. Bat despite all this, they met with little sympathy. The board laid all the blame for the delay in the construction of a fortress at the feet of the inhabitants themselves, they having long since secured permission to build it. As for a militia, they considered this a matter to be considered by a general Assembly, and they refused to grant even a hearing to their request for such aid, since the
people of New Castle had neglected to send repre- sentatives to the last meeting of the Assembly, which would have been the proper place to discuss matters concerning the good and safety of the government. Besides, the Council did not regard the prosperity of the colony as sufficiently great to warrant a large expenditure, and they had learned that in the neighboring and more flourishing colo- nies of Maryland and Virginia. where extensive fortifications had been erected and ships-of-war were continually plying, the pirates continued in their nefarious work, apparently unconscious of the presence of any opposition. In fact, the pirates would not infrequently attack the men of-war with a vigor greater than usual, and seemed to find special delight in murdering His Majesty's marines. Consequently, with the exception of one or two new laws on the statute books, the citizens of New Castle secured very little redress or satisfaction.
In April, 1700, the famous Capt. Kidd honored the people of Delaware with a brief visit. Hle doubtless considered that the spoils to be gathered from an attack on the towns would not repay the trouble requisite, and therefore did not molest them. He had, earlier in his career, made many attacks on the colonists, and Captains Kidd and Avery were the only men exempted from the privilege of pardon in the instructions sent from London some time previously. Although on this occasion he satisfied himself with anchoring at some distance from the coast, his visit was nevertheless the means of involving a number of the inhabitants in serious difficulty. Kidd had just returned from the East Indies, where he had been eminently successful in his depredations, and brought back a ve-sel heavily and richly freighted with the choicest products of the East. The importation of these goods into the colonies was strictly prohibited, but in direet antagonism to these laws, Wm. Orr, George Thompson, Peter Lewis and two others, all resi- dents of Lewistown, boarded Kidd's vessel and purchased a large quantity of his plunder. They were successful in eluding the vigilance of Lowman, the collector at Lewistown, and had already managed to dispose of their goods before any in- formation reached the ears of the authorities. Penn, who was at the time both proprietor and Governor, immediately on the discovery of the facts, secured their apprehension as accessories to the pirates and promoters of illegal trade. These cases attracted so much attention that once more the colonists received instructions from England regarding the suppression of piracy. This led Penn to call a special meeting of the Assembly to prepare a bill against pirates. He also appointed a committee of Council consisting of Edward Shippen, David Lloyd, Phineas Pemberton, W.m. Rodney and Caleb Pussey, who, in conjunction with an Assembly committee, were.to draw up a
1
:
102
HISTORY OF DELAWARE.
bill. and after debating for three weeks it was of Boston, taken on his way homeward from North finally passed. This law was undoubtedly the most stringent that had yet been enacted. It was followed by a proclamation requiring all strangers traveling in the colony to show passes, which could only be secured after the identity of the person had been established beyond a doubt All inn-keepers were required to give notice to a magi-trate imme- diately upon the arrival of a stranger, or in ease there happened to be no magistrate near by, " two housekeepers of the neighborhood" were to be notified. Even the ferrymen on the Delaware River were not permitted to transport a stranger or suspicious character, and were forced to give security, pledging themselves to abide by this pro- vision. The Council also treated New Castle with less severity, paying for boats and liquors sent to that town when it was reported that French pirates threatened the town. The colonists had at last thoroughly awakened to the enormity of the offenses committed around them, and the jeopardy by which they were surrounded. They accordiugly demanded appropriate legislation. The measures above mentioned were soon followed by an order making it the duty of the magistrates of Sussex County to keep a constant watch on the cape near Lewistown, and as soon as any vessel should appear off the capes, which, on any reasonable grounds, might seem to appear suspicious in its movements, they were forthwith to report to the sheriff of the county with an aceurate description of the ves-el. The sheriff of Sussex was to forward this informa- tion to the sheriff of Kent County, and it was to pass by special messenger from sheriff to sheriff through every county, until it reached the Governor at Philadelphia, who directed what aetion should be taken. The sheriff's were empowered to use horses for the messengers, and to avoid delay, the magistrates were to attend to these dispatches in the absence of the sheriff, and any expenses thus arising were to be paid by a provincial tax, levied for the purpose
Carolina ; Moody, of Pennsylvania ; and Young ... London, who was captured within sight of land :- he was sailing for the coast of Sussex County. C'astran and six other privateers spent their entire time sailing between Egg Harbor and sin nepuxent, and navigation between those points was soon rendered so dangerous that it became neer -- sary to appeal again to England for assistance. The Governor of Pennsylvania called a joint session of the Council and Assembly, and presentel in writing his views on the new sources of peril. The misfortunes with which the people were now beset exceeded anything they had experienced in the past. The coast of what is now Delaware, furnished the theatre for the most violent of these excesses. Navigation beeame almost impracticable. and the bravest sailors dared not leave or approach the eoa-t and trade was, as a natural consequence. brought to a complete standstill. The Governor stated his opinion to be that, while the laws were quite rigid enough to suppress the evil. the officers through whom they were enforeed were not suffi- eiently numerous to properly earry them into execution, and he warmly appealed to the Assembly to increase the number, and grant money supplies for any action that it might be necessary to take at once. The Assembly, however, were slow in levying a new tax, and remonstrated with the Governor, charging him with being derelict in his duty for not having reported the matter to the admiral before they came to their present deplor- able condition ; moreover, they insinnated that the taxes had not been applied as economically or as wisely as might have been possible. These con- plaints they forwarded to the Lieutenant-Governor. John Evans, who in turn submitted them to the Council. To this the Lieutenant-Governor prepared an elaborate reply, in which he showed that the only hope of relief rested in what the colonists were willing to do for themselves. Governor Seymour, of Maryland, the vice-admiral of the province, had no forces at his command which he could send to the assistance of his neighbors, nor was there any reason to suppose that aid might be expected
These several laws, proclamations and orders grew more salutary in the results produced by them, than any that had preceded. During the first eight years of the eighteenth century, the coast of from the Governors of any of the adjoining colonies. Delaware remained unmolested by the pirates, A detailed explanation of the manner in which the funds were disposed of was also incorporated in the response, and after again picturing the seriousuess of the situation, a second appeal was made to the members of the Assembly. The letter clicited from the Assembly by this was based on a new line of argument. While admitting that the jurisdiction of the proprietary extended over a wide stretch of territory, they asserted that the legisla- tive powers of the Assembly were limited to that portion of the province bounded by the Delaware River, and "goes no further down than twelve while the people, undisturbed by their old oppres- sors, increased and prospered In 1705, however, the troubles were once more renewed. The char- acter of the water thieves had slightly, although not materially, changel, but the burden was, it anything. more difficult to bear. The dangers now to be guarded against were chiefly from French privateers, but the Dutch, Spanish and other nations were al-o engaged in similar occupations. In the year just mentioned, the masters of three vessels were taken by a privateer of great boldness manied Castrau. . They were Captains Philips, miles on this side New Castle." Morcover, they
103
PIRATES AND PRIVATEERS.
cited decisions in the English Court of Exchequer, by about one hundred men sent on shore by a by which they attempted to prove that all authority French privateer. Additional troubles were caused by these attacks, owing to the refusal of the Quakers to bear arms, even in defense, which naturally caused the other inhabitants much dis- pleasure. on the high seas was in absolute possession of the crown, and the colonial officers had no power to encroach thereon. In their opinion, the ouly proper course to be pursued by the Governor was to communicate with the vice-admiral, who was Fortunately, Governor Evans' successor, Gov- ernor Charles Gookin, was not long in ingratiating himself with the people, and soon snerceded in indneing the Assembly to grant a liberal sum for the protection of the coast. Almost immediately after the Assembly had taken this action, tidings were received that the Queen had dispatched a number of men of war to assist in the work of saving her colonies from the grasp of pirates and not Governor Seymour, as he had stated, but Lord Cornbury, Governor of the Jerseys, who had always willingly granted them all the assistance in his power. This controversy between the Governor and the Assembly continued for three months, and was not terminated until it had resulted in causing an irremediable breach between the contending parties, and precipitated the retirement of Governor Evans. The importance of this dispute is of chief interest in so far as it widened the breach between the province and the counties comprising Delaware. New Castle, Sussex and Kent were, on account of their situation, more directly concerned in these conten ions than those situated north of thein. The continual recurrence of these quarrels pro- duced no other effect than an irritability between the counties on the coast and those in the interior, and they may be considered an important factor in the events which brought about the final zepara- tion.
The unsettled condition of affairs which existed during the close of Governor Evans' administra- tion was only made worse by a projected war against Canada by the English. Taking advantage of this, the pirates and privateers were more fre- quent than ordinarily in their visits, and at this time (1708-9) records are to be found of many attacks on both Lewistown and New Castle. Penn's secretary, James Logan, wrote to him in June, 1708, that the " coasts begin to be intolerably in- fested," and has " become a nest of privateers" He reported that in four days three vessels had been burnt and sunk in the river or off the capes Three French men-of-war were stationed at Port Royal, one of fifty, one of forty-tive and a third of twenty-six guns, with orders from the King to ply along the coast. They had brought over one hundred families with which to settle a French colony, and whatever booty they gathered in their cruises, from the British colonists, was used for the support of the new settlement. Logan humoron-ly complained that " we have now four English men- of-war on these coasts, but they very exactly observe the late practice of the navy, that is, eare- fully to keep out of the enemy's way. They always see the privateers, but always something happens that they cannot fight them." The con- dition of affairs was at this time such that advices were sent to England to send no vesel- dircet to the Delaware, but first to Maryland. until it is learned whether it would be safe to enter the bay. Lewistown was again plundered in 1709, this time
GOVERNOR SIR WILLIAM KEITH.
privateers. The co-operation of these two forces proved for a time an effectual blow to the plunder- ing incursions and thieving attacks which the early settlers of Delaware continually suffered, and for nearly a decade the coast was undisturbed and free from hostile invasions.
In 1717 we again find the pirates foreing their objectionable presence upon the attention of the colonists The renewal of their predatory atrocities necessitated the enactment of further measures of defense. On the recommendation of Lieutenant-Gow Poor Keith, the Council willingly concurred in publishing a proclamation with a view of diminishing the number of their old tormentors A tempting reward was offered to any person who should furnish the Governor or any magistrate with information leading to the conviction of any pirate
-
:
104
HISTORY OF DELAWARE.
or other person who had interfered with the people in the peaceful pursuit of their affairs. Rewards were also offered for the capture of accessories and suspicious characters, and the Governor promised to exert himself to the utmost to secure the pardon of pirates who would surrender themselves or their aecomplices. The proclamation had hardly beea issued, when five pirates from the sloop " Willian's Endeavor," appeared before the Council, surren- dered themselves. and demanded the pardon offered by the proclamation. The prisoners were John Collison, Hance Dollar, John Rennalds, Benjamit Hutchins and John Bell. Strangely enough, instead of remanding the prisoners to jail, until they were proved worthy of immunity, they were ordered not to be prosecuted until it might be learned that the crimes which they had acknowl- edged were such as to exempt them from the benefits of the proclamation. Such evidence was never procured, and the pirates were consequently not prosecuted.
In July, 1718, particulars reached the Council of far more serious piratical work A number of mariners now appeared before the Governor and asked his protection. They had been employed in the merchant service, but had recently escaped from a pirate ship in which they had been held captives. When summoned to appear before the Council, they gave their names as Richard Apple- ton, John Robeson, William Williams, John Ford, Benjamin Hodges. John Barfield, James Mathews, Samuel Barrow, Gregory Margoveram, Renold Glorence, Walter Vincent and Timothy Harding. Appleton acted as spokesman, and narrated the trials and sufferings they underwent before they escaped, making an interesting and thrilling story of adventure. They had sailed from Jamaica early in the year in a ship fitted out for working wreeks Death soon deprived them of their captain, and they met with little luck in their expedition. Meeting with another sloop, they willingly listened to the importunities of its captain, one Greenway, to mutiny, and place themselves under his com- mand. They took Captain Greenway on board their own sloop, which was the better of the two, and put their own master on the other. Greenway had also brought his erew with him, and the arrangement had scarcely been completed when they informed their new associates that they were pirates, and had no other object in view in making the change than to secure additional men to as-ist them in their robberies. The men thus betrayed, were forced to serve their pirate masters in spite of' all protests. This lasted several months before an opportunity was presented to escape. Their sloop bai attacked an English vessel, and Greenway and 's veral of his old crew boarded it to secure the !Sty. Those of the old crew who remained on board were drunk, and it was an easy matter to
bind them and set them adrift in a hoat. Om freeri, the captives hastily put out, and althous Greenway made a desperate attempt to overtak. them, they escaped enhort, and at length reach the hospitable chores of the Delaware, where the .. put in for refuge. Atter hearing the story, Gos. ernor Keich orderet an inventory to be taken of whatever was found on their vessel. Captain Hardy was depenized for this work, and reported the sloop well equipped with powder, shot, gun- pistols, muskets, blunderbusses, cutlasses and other materials and implements necessary for the ocem encounters in which Greenway had been engaged. as well as & numerous collection of articles pro- miscuously gathered from his vietims. Whatever was perishable was immediately sold and used for the protection of the people against pirates, whil .. the rest was held subject to the order of the Admir- alty Courts, and the men were suitably rewarded.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.