Minutes of HM Council: 15 Apr 1886 - May 1686 memorandum & letters
Memorand. Delivered a box directed for ye Rt. Honble ye Earle of Sunderland, Chief Secretary of State. These humbly, hite Hall, for his Maties Service, which said box was sealed with ye Govere. Seale in twelve places- containing severall paquetts for his Maties Services; which said box was delivered to me by the Governe., with his order to deliver said box immediately to John Vevers, Master of ye Pinke, American Merchant, bound directly for London which accordingly I forthwith committed into ye hands of ye said Vevers in ye presence of Willm. Forster, mate; John Whittall, boatswaine; and James Bell, carpenter of sd pinke. His Excellency strictly ordering the said Vevers to deliver said box with all possible care and speed according to ye directions. Giving positive command to sd mate, boatswaine and carpenter to see it safely delivered whereof are witness, Capt Bartholomeu Sharp, Command of ye Josiah Frigatt, Thomas Valley, Master of ye sd frigatt, Capt Edward Conway, Commandr of ye ship Prosperous, Capt John England, Mr Richard Phillips, mercht.
Recorded ye 15th day of April 1686.
John Jauncye, Dept. Secty.
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A letter written by Mr Stephen Hicks to Willmmm Keell
Capt Keell,
I have your and ye answer is so faire and honest that gives me good satisfacon soe I have chosen to send you up a boy with his brother and pray lett him remaine carefully with his Dame and not goe to the Charons, and the gunner with your assistance may bring him off to us when we are out; which ye shall have notice of by a good hand, and then that impudent jade will be fitted in her kinde for I more want ye boy than ye money, there is noe fear but only that wicked man will detaine me till I deliver him ye boy, He is written to as I am told from ye parties or informed by that woman that we intend to carry ye and Capt Bascomb away and has fited boats to pursue us, if we did not come downe, such a wretch never lived uppon ye earth, and in due time will have his reward.
I am yr Lo. friend. Stephen Hicks.
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Monday evening
By this letter all people may understand the great deceit intended by Mr Hicks, as also ye great danger myself, who all ye Islands know have His Maties Commission doe every houre lay under, who am here in this letter threatened in due time to have my reward. I suppose it is this morning paid in part as intended, and noe one could have thought the Towne would have so quietly suffered his Maties Gunne to be seized and my self made a prisoner, pray God you doe not suffer other things as bad or worse to be done.
Capt Coward declares that Edward Conway, Commandr of ye ship Prosperous tooke freight and passengers for Pensilvanie & New Yorke to both which places he had also goods consigned but really believes he never intended for either of sd places, and yt he departed Gravesend wthout satisfying his brewer, butcher, baker, carpenter, boatbuilder and many other people to whom the sd Conway was indebted; severall of said persons endeavouring to stop him both at Gravesend & ye Downes as also at Plymouth where he went by ye name of one Browne, ye sd Coward being forced there and thence to cleare ye ship; report being then sent from London to Plymouth ye said Conway would run away with both ship & goods and that he designed to turn pirate, and touching at St Mary's thinking to take in some water ye said Conway named his ship ye Larke frigaatt, belonging to his Matie declaring that he had tooke a Sally Man of War, and sent her to Lisborne; and in his voyage from London hither performed nothing according to contract, wither his passengers, seamen, or freight but suffered most of ye chests & baile goods to be broken open and thence to be stolen even what they pleased soe yt was scace a passenger whose goods was not much imbezld, if not totally lost, and also ye said Conway broke up and intercepted all ye letters & bills of loading he could any way procure, rending and flinging them overboard, and likewise put sundry of ye passengers in irons without any provocacon detaining them so for sundry weekes and hath had ropes put about their necks, threatening and swearing, instantly to hang them at ye yard arme using them also with great cruelty as to their allownaces, it being but a biskett and les than a pint of water a man a day, and he hath frequently sworne to his seamen that he would goe to ye East Indies, and there take whatsoever vessel and goods he could light of, pretending to have ye Duke of Brandenburghs Commission, and that His Maties had granted him a patent for an island in ye Esat Indies promising upon return to knight him, or give him a medle, if not make him a Lord, and further ye said Conway hath sundry times proffered and vowed to give each man L1000 for his share for 18 months time; And ye sd Conway did at sea break open his Maties paquett, directed to ye Governe of New York, and tooke from thence severall papers, swearing he would never go againe for England. Soe then directed his course to these Islands, where when arrived, and found this country under great disquiet, turned his passengers ashore, forcing them to hire vessels to conveigh themselves to their intended ports without most of their goods, compelling them by threats, and sundry other ways (when they had complained to ye Governor for ye want of their goods) afterwards to goe and declare to his Excellency that they were fully satisfied.
William Coward
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And ye said Conway and sundry of his men frequently did declare long ere they intended to depart this harbour that they neither valued these guns nor any of ye Castles of forts and that if they were minded they could and would goe in spight of any opposition.
signed Bartholomew Sharp, Commande. of ye Josiah Frigatt; Thomas Valley, master of ye said frigatt. John Jauncye, Depty Secry.
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And ye said Conway sundry times vowed, should he ver goe up ye country (which he frequently and solemnly protested & swore they never would) he really did believe they would murder him by reason of his constant calling them to their faces, when they came to Towne, roages, dogs & traytors etc. as also for striking Willm Peniston, yet notwithstanding ye said Conway about 4 or 5 days ere he departed, went up early in ye morning with sundry of his men and there laid that night, continuing part of ye next day; whereby wee imagine ye country was instrumentall & agreeing to his carrying off Capt Sharp's men most of them being then there and that they foreknew of his coming in order thereto; sundry of sd men carrying up their arms a night or two before, declaring they were there to stay to goe with Conway.
signed Bartholomew Sharp, Commandr of ye Josias Frigatt, Paul Abney, Lieut and Thomas Valley, master of sd frigatt.
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And on Friday ye 23rd April last past, about three o'clock in ye afternoon they attempted with their utmost endeavours (making all ye saile they conveniently could) to gett out without either their permitt or clearings. Carrying off sundry peoples, servants and other persons.
signed Bartholomew Sharp, Commandr of ye Josias Frigatt, Paul Abney, Lieut and Thomas Vally, master of sd frigatt. Mr Richard Phillips, merchant. John Jauncye, Dept Sect
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And also ye said Conway did sundry weekes before frequently advise and solicite Richard Phillips to goe with him, promising to carry him, with ye rest of his family, directly to his intended port of Carolina; notwithstanding ye said Phillips often told him he would not, by reason he was indebted on ye island about ye value of hundred pounds, which ye said Conway slighted, saying that if he ought never so much, he would carry them off prforce in spight of any contrary means.
signed Richard Phillips, mercht.
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So yt ye Gover. finding them on ye day aforesaid under saile instantly ordered both his owne gunns and Capt Sharpe to be fired in upon him, seven shots being made at him, ere he would come to, during which John Harloe, ye Towne gunner, could be nowhere found, nor did once appear untill they came to an anchor and ye said Conway was then much indebted here.
signed Bartholomew Sharp, Commandr of ye Josias Frigatt, Paul Abney, Lieut and Thomas Vally, master of ye aforesd frigatt. Mr Richard Phillips, merchant.
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And on the 25th of the said Aprill immediately after ye travally was beat, and watch discharged ye said Conway, his brother, master, steward, carpenter and sundry other of his men came on shoar well armed with guns, pistolls, & swords, as also between sixty and seventy men yt belonged to Capt Sharp whom ye sd Conway enticed away with him though detained by his Excelly for His Maties Service, frequently supplying them with money, and all other necesaries; he ye said Conway appearing at ye head of y.m exciting and encouraging them thereto, saying, well boyes, how fare ye, etc. when they seized all ye great guns, and kept possessions of ye same.
signed Capt Bartholomew Sharp, Commandr of ye Josiah Frigatt, Paul Abney, Lieut and Thomas Vally, master of sd frigatt, Capt Samuel Brangmang, Comander of Southampton Fort.
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As also did besett ye Gover's house on all sides with a great number of men, demanding their clearings, and swearing they must and would be gone. To of them presenting their guns at him, threatening to shoot him as he stood in his shirt, discoursing them out of his chamber window.
signed Samel. Brangman, Comandr of Southampton Fort.
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Others went and surprised Captain Sharp, his Lieut & Master (all three being asleep in their beds) and seixed all their arms, forcing them downe to ye Gover's to demand their clearings.
signed Capt Bartholomew Sharp, Comdr of ye Josiah Frigatt, Paul Abney, Lieut and Thomas Vally, master of sd frigatt
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All of which ye inhabitants quietly permitted not making ye least resistance, or opposition or endeavouring to stand to their ames, but were sundry of them seen then to shake them by ye hand, and to drinke with severall of them, and when ye Govere. (who was forced after some time, being no ways able to pswade, or advize them to lay downe their armes, or to be pacified) gave them their permitt to pass ye forts, severall of ye sd inhabitants were seen to goe along with them, to see them take boat who after they were gone, send sundry letters off to their severall friends ashore.
signed Capt Bartholomew Sharp, Comdr of ye Josiah Frigatt, Paul Abney, Lieut and Thomas Vally, master of sd frigatt. Capt Samll Brangman, Comdr of Southampton Fort.
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And ye sd Conway when went away, would pay noe powder money, nor any other duty to His Maties, nor for ye seven guns fired to bring them to anchor.
signed John Jauncye, Dept Sect
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But carried off perforce severall persons. Viz. Hannah harwood, bond servant to Richard Phillips, Mathew Waterson, bond servant to one Mr Clarck in South Carolina with severall others.
signed Capt Bartholomew Sharp, Comdr of ye Josiah Frigatt, Paul Abney, Lieut and Thomas Vally, master of sd frigatt.
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And sundry of his people went into ye Governor's house and asked who had a mind to goe with them saying, wosoever would, should goe, and yt noe one should or could stop or hinder them. Then tooke with them out of said Govern. House Willm. Jurdison, his man servant.
signed Capt John England, master of ye Pinke..........Rebecca Simon
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As also carried away Randall Smith, a man yt belonged to Capt Sharps frigatt from whence he made his escape about ten weeks agoe, in ye dead of ye night, it being his watch with two of ye kings prisoners, all which fled up ye country, and there continued, as also took them one Willm. French, who with his gun shott one Charles Seale whereof ye second day ye said Seale died, for which ye said French was to answer ye next Sizes.
signed Capt Bartholomew Sharp, Command. of ye Josiah Frigatt, Paul Abney, Lieut and Thomas Vally, master of said frigatt.
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As also went aboard Capt. Sharps Frigatt, and thence tooke away his Indian man slave and ye gunn of John Robinson.
signed Paul Abney, Lieut and Thomas Vally, master of ye Josiah frigatt.
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It is also observed that when his Excellency gave order to John Harlowe, aforesd guner, to reload ye platforme guns, he alowed but ye quantity of one for ye loding of six guns.
signed Thomas Vally, master of ye josiah Frigatt, Joseph West, gunner of St George.
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William Jacson guner of ye Josiah Frigatt being sworne saith that upon Munday ye 3rd of May 1686, being ordered by His Excell.y to draw ye guns of the platforme in ye Town of St Georges, which were loaded by John Harloe then present gunner of St Georges, to attend ye mocon of ye aforesd Conway. Here the said Jacson deposeth that the quantity of powder which was allowed for foure guns, by ye said Harloe was but a sufficient load for one gun. The premises sworne to by ye persons subscribed to the severqall articles aforesd, before the Rt Honble, the G'verE (Test. John Jauncye, Depty Secty).
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A true copy of a letter written by Capt John Hubbard, Sept Sher. to Mr Copeland Lea, one of His Majesties Justices of ye peace, but long before suspended from being one of ye Councell by the Rt Honble Richd. Cony, then Gover. The superscription of which said letter was as followeth. These to Mr Copeland Lea, Councillor of Pagetts Tribe. Present.
Mr Copeland Lea
Sir, these are to acquaint you, that this morning I recieved a letter from ye Gover. that he understands there i likely to be a disturbance in ye country, and by ye purport of his order to me directed you are strictly commanded in His Majesties name. That ye use your indeavour to keep all persons in quiet and peace untill ye arrival of his Maties Frigatt which is dayly expected, which is all at present to trouble you. I rest
Your friend to serve you John Hubbard, d Shr.
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May ye first 1686
I desire you to acquaint Capt Bascomb and others of the civill and military officers for them to observe ye above said order. Yers. JH
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The superscription of a letter from Mr Copeland Lea to ye Rt Hon. Richard Cony, Gover. which may be observed, according to his promise. William Peniston and others of the country, that if (ye Governor) would not owne them for his Counill, they would not wone him for their Governe. They being suspended. Therefore ye title of Governor is left out by ye said Lea in ye following superscription.
To ye Rt Honble Coll. Richard Cony, present with speed
Honble:
Sir: according to your comds. I have here inclosed sent you the Sheriffs letter, not els from your servant to command.
May ye 8th 1686 Copeland Lea
Vera Copia John jauncye, Dept. Sect.
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Whereas upon severall pressing occasions ye Rt Honble ye Governor having placed guards upon his Maties ordnance, James Gardiner standing sentry uppon ye guard in the towne of St Georges, deposeth as followeth, that upon ye 20th day of May 1686, Edward Merritt of Sandy's Tribe came to him, and asked him to sell his arms, whereupon said Gardner replied, yt he knew better then to part with his armes and presented his gunne.
The marks of James Gardner
a true copy John Jauncye, Dept sect
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Rt Honble GoverE June ye 2nd 1686
Sir: yours reced, when I was with yr. Excellency last I acquainted ye that I had nothing to doe with ye removing of Capt Smailes his pinke, he desired of me to lay her in that place and he would take care of her, and since that Smailes sent to Mr Outerbridge to come to him, and agree for the removing of her but Mr Outerbridge haveing not leasure, would not undertake it. Therefore if any good people would undertake to remove her to some convenient place, Samiles ought to pay for it, as for my part I have no judgement in these things desiring I may be excused.
These to ye Rt Honble. Richard Cony, Gover & Capt Generall of these Somers Islands, pe;sent at St Georges
Ye Servt to Command, John Hubbard, D Sher
A true copy of the originall, John Jauncye, Dept Sect