Minutes of HM Council: 22 June 1686
At a Councell of Warr held at St Georges ye 22nd day of July 1686. By ye Rt Honble ye Generall, the Capts of ye Militia and other Comandrs of ye Somers Islands als Bermuda
Ordered: Impt. That upon ye sight of two ships or vessels, be they great or small, that ye Country be alarymed, and all psons of what degree soever, doe stand to their armes and repaire to their coullours, unless ye Generall shall otherways order.
2ly. That noe man, white or black, presume to goe to sea, to speake with any shipp or shipping, but by ye leave of ye Justice of peace or Capt of ye parish from whence such person or persons shall be sent, uppon ye penalty of one months imprisonment, for a white, and if it be a Negro, he shall be severely whipped or otherwise punished with severity, as ye magistrate shall see fitting, and yt all boats be at sea uppon ye sight of two ships or vessels, or hearing ye drum beat or firing of guns, doe forthwith make speed on shore, and repair to their coullours.
3ly. That an imbargo be laid upon all shipping, that none may depart these Islands before ye 25th day of August next.
4ly. That upon ye rainsing of an alarum, that ye respective comanders doe forthwith give notice of ye occasion to ye Generall, and to each other, so soone as it may be understood.
5ly. That all persons yt shall be found guilty of raising any false alarms shall forfit fourty shillings and one months imprisonment for every offense.
6ly. That ye Commandrs with their Compas mind ye motion of ye enemy and psue them to any part or place of these Islands, as they shall see cause.
7ly. That ye fight shall be managed by ye Capt that shall have ye honour of ye first onsett, and yt all ye rest of ye Commanders be ordered and directed from time to time, during ye fight, or dispute with ye enemy, as ye said Capt hall direct, until such time as further order shall be sent from ye Generall.
8ly. That persons be well fitted with armes and ammunition to ye good liking of their respective Capt within foure months, and if any person shall be found defective herein, he or they shall forfeit twenty shillings apiece, for every such offense, which shall be accordingly seized from ye person or persons which shall be found faulty, or unprovided, as above sd to be delivered to the Capt, where ye offender is listed, who shall take care to lay out ye forfeits in armes.
9ly. That ye Commans take care, yt if occasion require their long continuance in ye field in armes, that their respective Compas be supplied with meat and drinke convenient, which charge shal be defrayed by the publique.
10ly. That ye Capt doe keep their place of Rendesvouze, where they may see most convenient from time to time.
11ly. That all soldiers be fitted with podued boxes forthwith upon ye penalty of forfeiting three shillings, for their neglect, to be from ye offenders seized by the Capt.
12ly. That all ye men Negros, from 16 years of age to 60, be by their respective masters fitted with offensive armes, or weapons, as they may think most fitt and yt ye said Negroes, be by their masters, at all alarmes, brought into ye field with their armes, and there to be disposed of, and ordered from time to time as ye respective Comandrs shall see fitt.
13ly. That every widdow having ye benefitt of two shares of land, rent free that have not sons or white servts yet they are obliged to fitt with armes and amunicon, that every such widdow or widdows, doe within foure month p.vide two such good and sufficient armes, with amunicon such as shall be liked by ye Capt of ye Division, where such widdow or widdows shall dwell but in the case such widdow shall hear after marry, or get English men servants, yt then at ye reasonable request of ye said widdowe, ye aforesaid armes and amunicon shall be returned, if in being; and if ye said widdow or widdows, shall faile of making such provision of aforesd then to forfeit ye value of ye said armes, to be by the Generalls warrant seized from them, and ye said money laid out for armes and amunicon for ye poor that are not able to buy themselves armes, and yet every widdow having one share as aforesaid to provide one gun & amunicon as abovesd.
14ly. That those called Quakers capable of bearing armes, yt shall refuse to come into ye field at any alarm, fitted witha rmes and ammunition as is by their Captain required shall forfeit forty shillings, to be levied by distress and saile of ye offenders goods which said money shall be delivered to ye Capt, under which ye said offender is listed for ye buying of armes, for those yt may be thought not able to buy for themselves.
15ly. That four small guns be planted on sone convenient place, on the West end of ye Island.
16ly. That all persons that shall absent themselves from alarms & musters for ye better discipline of ye soldiery, shall forfeit for efvery such offence two shillings six pence, adn for absence from an alarum to be fined ten shillings.
17ly. That two troopes of horses be raised for ye better defence & safety of this his maties Colony of Somers Islands, als Bermudas, agt all hostill attempts that may at any time attaque or invade it.
18ly. That two beacons be erected, in ye most convenient places for situacon and prospect, for ye more speedy, cheap, and facile alarming ye whole country uppn all occasions.
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The copy of ye clause of a letter dated at Elutheira, June ye 14th 1686, written by Joseph & Mary Beake, to their father John Beake in Bermudas, viz. that ye Spaniards will have Bermuda ye next Somer for they say they have bought it and paid for it.
In a letter from Adam Renolds to Arabella Young in Bermudas, that it hath been reported by severall of our English men yt have been taken prisoners by ye Spaniard, that they have bought Bermudas and paid for it, and they will have it, without losing one man.
In a letter dated at Elutheria, ye 12th June 1686, written by Richard King to his brother John King. That ye Spaniards did intend to visitt Bermudas for they said they have bought is, and apid for it, and yt ye Spaniards hear yt ye armes were they called in, and they would take them all in Bemrudas with their owne men, and this he heard by prisoner taken by them this Somer. The three letters above sd were delivered to His Excelly ye 22th July 1686. By Willm Pitt, coroner, Capt Anthony White & Lieut James Farmer being brought into ye country by Christopher Smith, Mr of ye barque Luccos, who arrived here from Bahamah abt ye 16th instant. John Jauncye, Dept Secrt