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M. I.
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01146 6775
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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2019
https://archive.org/details/rhodeislandpriva00chap
SILVER BOWL CAPTURED FROM THE FRENCH IN 1744 BY PRIVATEER PRINCE CHARLES OF LORRAINE, CAPTAIN SIMEON POTTER
S
BOTTOM OF BOWL, SHOWING THE INITIALS S. P. OF CAPTAIN POTTER. Courtesy of Nathanael G. Herreshoff
Rhode Island Privateers ın King George's War 1739-1748
By HOWARD M. CHAPIN
1688
MOOSHASUCK.
ICAL SOCIETY.
1822
Rhode Island Historical Society Providence
Printed for the Society MCMXXVI
Press of E. L. FREEMAN CO. Providence, R. I. 1926
Sauthem-$10.0
1212682
Publication Committee
Howard W. Preston, Chairman Norman M. Isham Charles A. Calder G. Alder Blumer, Ex-oficio
CONTENTS
I Rhode Island Privateers in King George's War. 5
II
The Virgin Queen
I7
III The Revenges of Newport 27 ·
IV The Charming Betty and the St. Andrew 66
V Other Newport Privateers 1740_43 82
VI The "Concert Sloops" and the Prince Frederick. IO2
VII The Opening of the French War II5
VIII The Prince Charles of Lorraine I32
IX The Defiance 149 ·
X More Newport Privateers 160
XI The Reprisals 176
XII The Colony Sloop Tartar I86
XIII Letter-of-Marque Ships
199
·
ILLUSTRATIONS
I Silver bowl captured from the French . frontispiece
2 Sailing orders for the St. Andrew . opp. 16
3 A Spanish ship of 1745 32
4 Advertisement of the Revenge
1 32
5 Signatures of privateersmen 40 .
6 Joseph Wanton 48
7 John Cranston's receipt 64
8 View of Newport about 1739 80
9 Signatures of privateersmen 88 .
IO Mark Anthony DeWolf 96 ·
II A xebeck with square sails II2 ·
I2 Letter of Captain Fones
· I20
I3 Hopkins' court dress I28
14 Cannon from the Tartar
· I44
15 Signatures of privateersmen
· I52
16 Philip Wilkinson 160 ·
17 A xebeck with lateen sails 176 ·
18 Daniel Fones' house 184
I9 Letter of Captain Fones 192 .
20 Signatures of privateersmen .
· 208
Prefatory Note
An attempt has been made in the following pages to preserve the quaint and archaic phraseology of the period, which many times is more expressive than modern English. Occasionally the ancient spelling has been retained, especially in the case of obscure places.
In some instances a discrepancy will be noted between the new style date given by the enemy and the old style date given by the captor.
All of the unusual nautical expressions have been tran- scribed verbatim from the contemporary documents, as it is hoped that this volume may contribute to the history of mari- time affairs in general as well as to the history of privateering.
The note book (1658-1708) of John Saffin, which is in the Rhode Island Historical Society's library, contains a note on the ancient method of reckoning tonnage. Saffin explains that if the product of the length times the breadth should be multiplied by the depth, and that then the last two digits be dropped from this result, the remaining numbers will be the ship's tonnage.
This volume is based primarily on the manuscript Admiralty Court records preserved at Providence, Boston, New York and Bermuda, on the contemporary newspapers, and on manu- script material in the Rhode Island State Archives, the Massa- chusetts Archives, the Rhode Island Historical Society, the Massachusetts Historical Society and the Providence Town Records. A few items have been drawn from Sheffield's "Privateersmen of Newport", Peterson's "History of Rhode Island" and the printed Admiralty briefs in the New York Public Library.
A copy of this volume annotated with references will be placed in the library of the Rhode Island Historical Society.
CHAPTER 1 RHODE ISLAND PRIVATEERS IN KING GEORGE'S WAR
More than two decades slipped by between the end of Queen Anne's War and the beginning of King George's War. During this period of peace great changes took place on the New England seaboard. The population increased rapidly and foreign commerce developed, bringing in its wake, wealth. Newport became one of the commercial centres of America. Her vessels travelled distant seas, whaling, slaving and trading. Her merchants built larger houses, patronized learning, and enlarged their warehouses, shipyards and distilleries. When King George's War came, privateering entered upon a new phase. More or less irresponsible and wandering sea captains, questionable commissions, accusations of piracy and hastily summoned, ill-trained, volunteer expeditions were no longer to be the rule. In their place Newport was hereafter to send forth privateers owned by her wealthiest and most respected citizens and commanded by skilled and responsible captains trained by years of service in a well ordered merchant marine. A vessel built, owned and operated by the colony was to guard its coasts. Of the veteran privateersmen of Queen Anne's War only one, Col. John Cranston, remained fit for active service. As captain of the Colony Sloop, captain of Fort George, and a member of important committees, his experience and sagacity were to be of great use to the colony.
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On August 21, 1739, the Assembly of the Colony authorized the Governor to grant commissions to private men-of-war to act against Spain and the subjects thereof, pursuant to His Majesty's warrant. The actual declaration of war was not signed until October 19, almost two months later.
Even before the General Assembly passed this act, indeed immediately upon the receipt of "the so long wish'd for news" that liberty was granted to the colonists to make reprisals upon the Spaniards, three Newport merchants, Capt. Godfrey Malbone, Capt. John Brown and Capt. George Wanton began to fit out privateer sloops for expeditions against the Spaniards. By August 17 many volunteers had enlisted for this attractive and hazardous service.
In order to encourage and hasten the fitting out of these privateers, the General Assembly of the Colony voted on August 21 to loan to these three, Malbone, Brown and Wanton, 'so many of the colony's small arms, pistols, cutlasses and great shot as they have occasion of, for fitting out their private men-of-war".
Two privateer sloops, the Virgin Queen and the Revenge, sailed from Newport on September I and the Charming Betty later in the month. Nine more commissions were issued during the ensuing months, but these ships seem rather to have been letter-of-marque ships than privateers.
King George signed the much desired Declaration of War against Spain on Friday, October 19, 1739, at Kensington, and on the following Tuesday it was published throughout London by the Heralds at Arms, in the usual places and with the accustomed formalities. Parliament soon passed an act to encourage the fitting out of privateers against Spain, and among other things enacted that the entire property of all prizes, that should be made by any privateer, in consequence
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of a commission granted after the fourth of January 1739-40, would be "invested" in the captors, excepting the customs, duties, and His Majesty's tenth. On Tuesday, April 22, 1740, His Majesty's Declaration of War against Spain was publicly read at Newport before an assemblage of civil and military officers. A number of gentlemen with drawn swords attended the solemnities and at the conclusion gave three rousing huzzas. Fort George fired twenty - five guns and several vessels in the harbor, including two privateers, probably the Virgin Queen and the Charming Betty, displayed their colors and fired several guns. On May 20, 1740, the Lords of Admiralty authorized the Governor of Rhode Island to issue commissions under this act, and the three Rhode Island privateers, Virgin Queen, Revenge and Charming Betty, were doubtless re-com- missioned. Either the encouragement of the act or the success of the Virgin Queen, or perhaps a little of both, led to the fitting out at Newport of two more privateers, the St. Andrew and the Victory. One of these new privateers was described in the April newspapers as a large sloop designed for the South Sea, the command of which was to be offered to Captain Wickham. The Revenge, the Charming Betty and the St. Andrew were beating up for volunteers at Newport during the first week of June 1740.
On October 10 the Newport correspondent of the Boston News-Letter stated that there were then five Newport privateers at sea and added: "last week arrived here the last of our Jamaica fleet. It is remarkable that we have not this year of war lost one vessel to the Spaniards, though hardly a year of peace but they took some in the most lawful trade and without so much as a pretence". Governor Ward, writing in January 1740-4I, says "that merchants of Newport have equipped five privateers, with crews amounting in the whole to near four hundred men, who are now cruising against the
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Spaniards". In addition to these privateers, the Colony had built and put in commission the guard sloop-of-war Tartar, and had hired two transports, the Marigold and the Greyhound, which had been sent on the expedition against Cartagena.
John Banister, one of Newport's leading ship-owners, on October 6, 1740, wrote: "We have now belonging to this town six sail, three of which I am concerned in." He was writing in regard to privateering and evidently referred to the Revenge, Virgin Queen, Charming Betty, Victory, St. Andrewe and the privateer commanded by Captain Bull.
In June 1741 a great number of men landed on the west end of Long Island, lighted fires and behaved rather roughly. Their actions led to an alarm and rumor that Spanish privateers had sent a landing party on shore. By the time this rumor reached Boston it included the story that this force had burnt the town of Rockaway. The colonies of Rhode Island and Massachusetts were preparing to take action in this emergency, when more trustworthy information was received that these privateersmen were only some sailors, belonging to a New York and a Rhode Island privateer, who went on shore for a frolic on terra firma. On June 16 a vessel bound for Boston was chased by two privateers off Block Island. These were the New York and Rhode Island privateers, who, finding the Boston- bound vessel a friend, let her go on her way. The Rhode Island privateer was probably the St. Andrew, Captain David- son, which we know was in Newport harbor on June 12, 174I.
Four new privateers were fitted out at Newport during the summer of 1742 and sailed in the latter part of July or in August. They were the Castor, Captain Hugh Wentworth, the Pollux, Captain Richard Woolford, the Fame, Captain Griffith, and a prize sloop, Captain Dyer. The Castor and the Pollux cruised in consort and captured three Spanish vessels,
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which they brought into New York before the end of June 1743. These prizes were the brigantine Neustra Senora de las Dolores alias eld Cavallo Blanco, the brigantine Neustra Senora de las Dolores and the sloop La Negra.
Sheffield says that the Revenge, commanded by Capt. Charles Dyer, sailed on July 16, 1742, on her "third cruise". This is impossible for the Revenge was at this time in southern waters and did not reach Newport until August I. The "News- Letter", under the date of July 23, says that Captain Dyer was to command a "fine prize sloop". This fine prize sloop was probably the Dove, which had been captured by the Revenge off Cape Mole St. Nicholas on May 27. She arrived at Newport on June 24, and was condemned on July 19. She was the only prize sloop that had come into Newport for several months, and would naturally have been the vessel so described in a newspaper account in July. A sloop Revenge, (but not the before mentioned privateer of that name,) com- manded by Charles Dyer, sailed from Newport late in July or early in August on a trading voyage to the West Indies. Thence she went to Charleston, S. C., and then to Jamaica, where off Savannah-la-Mar she was stranded and lost in 1743. Although a merchant vessel, she may have carried a letter-of- marque thus giving rise to the confusion.
On Sunday, January 30, 1742-3, a great number of captured Spaniards and prize negro slaves planned to seize one of the privateer sloops then lying in Newport harbor, and to sail away to freedom in it. Four of them, who slept on board the vessel, were to take possession of her that night, whereupon the others were to come on board, but one of the captives betrayed the plot and the conspiracy was checked. This priva- teer may have been the Victory, which had arrived at Newport in August 1742, or the St. Andrew, which had arrived in October.
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THE ANGOLA RIOT.
On August 4, 1743, Joseph Wanton, who was later loyalist Governor of Rhode Island, but was at this time deputy col- lector of customs, went to John Freebody's wharf in order to seize for unpaid duties, the goods consisting of sugar, cotton and ginger, that had been brought into Newport on the prize ship Angola. Wanton, in the exercise of his official duties, was at first threatened and later assaulted by a mob of mariners, of whom he recognized Thomas Freebody, William Higgins, John Ellis, Edward Johnson, Morty Kelly and John Simon. Armed with staves and clubs they beat up Mr. Wanton, then imprisoned him in John Freebody's warehouse and " rescued " the goods. A trial naturally followed at which the mariners claimed that Wanton had not taken the required oath of office and also claimed that the matter was not within the jurisdic- tion of the Admiralty Court. The mariners were found guilty and fined 50 shillings each.
On Monday, June 4, 1744, between eleven and twelve o'clock in the forenoon, Governor Greene of Rhode Island publicly read at Newport His Majesty's Declaration of War against the French. Four new privateers, the King George, the Phoenix, the Hector and the Queen of Hungary were being fitted out, and the Charming Betty was being refitted for service against the French. The King George, the Prince William and the Prince Frederick sailed on June 7 and the Revenge a week later. The French War had greatly encouraged privateer- ing throughout the colonies. The "Boston News-Letter" in June stated that eight privateers were sailing or being fitted out at Newport at this time. Philadelphia had four vessels almost ready for sea, the ships Wilmington and Tartar, the schooner George and the sloop Trembleur, and it was planned to fit out four more. Five privateers sailed from Boston com-
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manded by Captains Rouse, Waterhouse, Ingerson, Gatman and Loring. Four sailed from New York, and two more were being fitted out, with the rumor that another one might be prepared for the service. It will be seen that Rhode Island actually sent more to sea, sending out in June and July 8, while Massachusetts sent 5, New York 6, and Pennsylvania 4. Rhode Island also had some at sea at this time, and sent out the Duke of Marlborough in August, and the Prince Charles of Lorraine in September, which with those already out made a total of 14 as against Massachusetts' proposed 7, (two of which were captured), New York's proposed 7, and Pennsylvania's proposed 8, one of which sank.
In September 1744, the "News-Letter" prophesied that before winter there would be 113 sail of privateers at sea from the British American Colonies, presumably including the insular as well as the continental colonies. These privateers were described as "mostly stout vessels and well manned".
Upon the outbreak of this French War in 1744, a French spy is reported to have written home in regard to Newport: "Perhaps we had better burn it, as a pernicious hole, from the number of privateers there fitted out, as dangerous in peace as in war; being a sort of freebooter, who confiscates à tord et à travers."
AN EMERGENCY REMINISCENT OF THE DAYS OF QUEEN ANNE'S WAR.
At three o'clock on the afternoon of July 23, 1744, news reached Newport that a French privateer sloop, which had recently taken Captain Roach's sloop, was still cruising off the coast, and had taken a ship of 300 tons bound from Ireland for Philadelphia, and also a Nantucket whaler, and had
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landed all the people at Nantucket, except the Irish ladies. The Rhode Island colony sloop Tartar was at this time out on a cruise in company with the Connecticut colony sloop Defence, so the Newporters went busily to work and fitted out and manned a fine snow with such expedition that she sailed in pursuit of the French privateer before sunset.
The year 1744 saw the most extensive development of privateering. Rhode Island had twenty-one privateers (not including the colony sloop Tartar) at sea during the year, and fourteen at sea at one time in September with four more being fitted out. The increase in the interest in privateering was greatly fostered by France's entry into the war, the lure of rich French prizes serving as an incentive to the cupidity of the New England merchants.
The crews of these privateers averaged more than 100 men per vessel and taking into consideration the crews, their families, the owners and their families and employees, together with those employed or interested in building, outfitting and supplying the privateers, not to omit the lawyers who profited by the litigation over prizes, it will be seen what a large number of persons participated in the industry. For indeed it was an industry or commercial adventure, rather than naval service, and was so considered.
Dr. Alexander Hamilton visited Newport in 1744, and under the date of August 20, notes in his diary: "At seven o'clock I went with one Mr. Scott to a club, which sits once a week upon Mondays called the Philosophical Club. But I was surprised to find that no matters of philosophy were brought upon the carpet. They talked of privateering and building of vessels; then we had the history of the old families of Scotland, where, by the bye, Grant told us a comic piece of history relating to General Wade and Lord Lovel," which
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Hamilton goes on to relate in full. Scott was Edward Scott, grand uncle of Sir Walter Scott, and master of the Grammar school at Newport. The Philosophical Club had been organi- ized a couple of decades earlier by Bishop Berkeley, and later developed into the Redwood Library. Grant is none other than Capt. Sueton Grant, one of the owners of the privateer Prince Frederick.
About a month later on Wednesday, September 26, 1744, a "sorrowful accident" occurred. As John Gidley Esq., Capt. Sueton Grant and Mr. Nathaniel Coddington, Jr., the owners of the privateer Prince Frederick, together with Mr. Taylor, were surveying the stores of the privateer in a ware- house chamber, a pistol by some means was accidentally dis- charged and immediately set fire to about 500 wt. of gun- powder in several casks. The dreadful blast blew away the roof of the house and the planks on the sides and end, and discharged 50 granades and 60 powder flasks, a large jar filled with 50 wt. of powder and all manner of instruments of death and a number of muskets and pistols. The contemporary press report states: "The damage done to the warehouse and stores is computed at £1500, but to the astonishment of every one, thro' the wonderful Providence of GOD, there was no life lost, nor so much as limb broke. The aforesaid Gentlemen were all blown out of the chamber different ways to a con- siderable distance, with their cloths all on Fire and are very much scorched in their Heads, Faces, Hands and Legs, but 'tis hoped are in a way to recover."
The optimism of this report proved not to be justified for the next issue of the "News-Letter" reports: "notwith- standing hopes were entertained of the Recovery of the four Gentlemen that were blown up with Gunpowder last week, three of them are since dead, viz: Captain Grant, Mr. Cod-
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dington and Mr. Taylor and Mr. Gidley is supposed to be very dangerous. It is not easy to describe the consern of the whole town at this melancholy Providence. Mr. Taylor was a stranger here and employed to look after the stores of the privateers. Mr. Coddington was son of Hon. William Cod- dington by his first wife, granddaughter of Governor Arnold, and was a young Gentleman universally respected and beloved for his amiable Qualifications. Captain Grant had acquired a general good character with all people, as an upright, under- standing and industrious Merchant and leaves a disconsolate Widow with a numerous family of children." Mr. Gidley's death occurred within a few days, thus completing the tragedy.
Mrs. Grant, hearing of the accident, went directly to the dock, without waiting to put on shawl or hat. When she reached the scene she saw all at a glance, and taking off her Holland apron, (every matron wore one when attending to her household duties), she cut it into strips with the scissors that hung from her side, and bound up the wounds of her dying husband.
At the time of his death, Mr. Grant was actively engaged in business. He was interested in a number of privateers, had ventures on many seas, and business relations in England and on the Continent. Mrs. Grant took all upon herself and carried it to a successful issue, her eldest son helping her when he had grown a little older and had acquired knowledge enough, under her training, to be of assistance to her. At the same time she looked carefully after the education of her daughters. How well this was done could be shown by many of their letters.
But perhaps no better illustration of Mrs. Grant's force of character could be shown than her success in a court of law. With large interests at stake, and having at times unscrupulous debtors to deal with, it is not surprising that occasionally she
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was drawn into litigation. In one instance, at the last moment, she discovered the duplicity of her counsel, and at once went to the court-room. Her lawyer, seeing her there, urged her to retire, but without effect; and when the judge, disturbed by the interruption, called for an explanation, she stepped for- ward, told why she was there, held forth the evidence of her counsel's treachery, and asked permission to argue her own case. The dignity of the woman and her clear, business-like address to the court moved the judge, who allowed her to lay her case before the jury; this she did in a manner that left no doubt as to the truth of her statement, and the jury, after a short deliberation, gave her the verdict.1
In July 1746, Governor Greene of Rhode Island wrote in regard to privateering: "There being out of this colony, and fitting out on that account, three ships of about twenty guns each; one snow, and four brigantines, of about sixteen guns each; and four sloops, of about twelve guns each; which are all manned from this place and are actually out on their cruise, saving one brigantine and two sloops, now fitting out . It will be noted that the number of privateers had declined to 12, or indeed really to Io, for the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cumberland had probably been lost before this time. Privateering steadily declined during the later years of the war.
Richard Partridge in 1757, referring to Rhode Island's activity in King George's War, wrote: "Its well known that the colony aforesaid is extremely obnoxious to the French and much an object of their resentment on account of the great mischief done to their trade during the last war by Rhode Island privateers of which they fitted out more than any other of the northern colonies." By "northern colonies" Partridge meant the continental colonies as in contrast to the southern or insular colonies of the West Indies.
1. See Mason, George C. "Reminiscences of Newport".
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The cruises of the various Rhode Island privateers are taken up in detail in the following pages.
THE SEAL USED BY JOHN BANISTER OF NEWPORT
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Orders to Beobserved by Captain Granjamin Wickham Commander of the Colony, Hoon Tartan June 12". 1741.
By Virtue of the Commepion you received -C from one . You are hereby of deved on a fraise in Quest of a Spanish Privater on this Gast. Ofiron as you have got on Board the formplin ment of one hundred Men including officers (pursuant to an act of etfrembly) with the? Hoop Jantar not exceeding ten Days -
in Company with fapt Charles Davidson Commander of the Hoop S. Andrews who is commissioned to join your ins ?? busse and to abarwy & follow as shall be & you given him and you are directed & admit him into Consultation
Gwen under my hand the Day of June in the 15th year of his Majesty Geign et Donc 1741 Bich? Ward Gov
Calle above is atime ] Theo the giftractiong
given me for the Glory " Santas toproces on a Grife upon our food as withegg how the 19th Day of five 1741 /2 " Wickham
SAILING ORDERS RELATING TO THE PRIVATEER ST. ANDREW AND THE COLONY SLOOP TARTAR From original in Rhode Island State Archives
Courtesy of Society of Colonial Wars
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