2. The Examination of William Jinkins, Richard Barlycorne and Robert Lumley

The Examination of William Jinkins, of Bow, near London, aged about 18 years. Apprentice to Geo. Bullen, deceased, late chief Mate to the Adventure Galley, Captain Wm. Kidd, Commander:

Who saith, That, some time after Christmas in the Year 1695, he sailed with the said Adventure Galley from Plymouth, in England; and the said Galley made her Course for New York; took a French Prize in her way, which was carried in with the same.

That the said Galley, some time after her arrival at New York sailed from thence to Madera; from Madera to Bonavista and St. Jago, where they took in Provisions, and steered for the Cape de Bon Esperance, but put not in there; but proceeded for an Island named Joanna; staid there about a Week, took on board some Water, and then went from thence to Mohilla; where the said Galley was laid on shore and cleaned; and then returned again to the said Island of Joanna; from whence the said Galley sailed to Motta in the Red Sea, and there watered; and then proceeded to a Place called Bobs Key, to wait for Shipping: And, during the time of their being there, the Moca Fleet passed by; but the said Galley did not endeavour to come up or speak with any of them, apprehending they were too strong; afterwards we spoke with a small Bark coming from the Red Sea, commanded by one Parker, out of which the Company belonging to the said Galley took about a Bushel of Pepper: Then the said Galley went into a Port called Callacut, where was an English Factory; remained there Four or Five Days, and then went a cruising upon that Coast; and sometime afterwards gave Chace to a Ship about 150 Tons Burden, and, after about Nine Hours Chace, came up with the same; then Captain Kidd ordered Two Shot to be fired at the same, to bring her to; whereupon she accordingly brought to; and the Master, being a Dutchman called Skipper John came on board: There was belonging to the said Ship Three Dutchmen, a Boy, and the rest Moors, between Twenty and Thirty in Number; the Dutchmen, and Two or Three Moors, were kept on board the said Galley, and the rest of the said Moors had the Long-boat given to them to go on shore, being then about Two Leagues distant from the same: the said Ship was loaded with Cotton, and had two Horses likewise on board the same; which Cotton and Horses Captain Kidd and his Company sold to the Natives of the Country for Money and Gold; kept the said Ship with them, the Galley being leaky, and carried her to Madagascar; When the said Galley came up with the said Ship, the said Galley had aboard French Colours, and the Master of the said Ship brought on board a French Pass, having other Passes besides: The Time when the said Ship was taken, as above mentioned, was about 13 or 14 Months since, about a Month or Five Weeks after which, the said Galley gave Chace to another Ship; and, having chaced her about Four Hours, came up with the same, the said Galley having aboard French Colours, and the other Ship Armenian; which Ship was of the Burden of about 400 Tons, called the Quedah Merchant, and was commanded by one Wright, an Englishman, had on board the same, Two Dutchmen, who were Mates of the said Ship; and a Frenchman, who was a Gunner, Six or Eight Armenians; and the rest of the Company Moors, being about ninety in Number; all of which Captain Kidd sent on shore in the Boats that came off from thence: the said Ship came from Bengall, bound for Surratt; was mounted with 16 or 18 guns; the French Gunner of which brought on board a French Pass, and said, She was a good Prize to the English: the said Captain was loaded with Bale Goods, Sugar, Iron and Saltpetre: Captain Wright who commanded the said Ship, declared she was in the employment of the English; that the Lading belonged to them: And, about Four or Five Days after the said Ship was taken by the said Galley, Captain Kidd called the Company together, and proposed to them to return the said Ship to those from whom they had taken her, or sell her to them; and said, He would agree to anything they should do therein, were it for the Value of a Piece of Eight: Said also to his Company, The Taking of the said Ship would make a great Noise in England, and they should not know what to do with the Goods taken in the same: But the Company of the Galley agreed not to the said Captain Kidd’s Proposal; but carried the said Ship into St. Marie’s, off Madagascar, and there unloaded her, and shared; Whereupon each of the said Galley’s Company, being then about 115 in Number, shared, one with another Three Bales and some loose Goods, besides about Two Thirds of a Bale: and Captain Kidd had Forty Shares: The Bales contained Calicoes, Romalls, Muslins, some Silks, some striped, some flowered, and some Plain. After sharing of the said Goods, Ninety and upwards, of the Company belonging to the said Galley, deserted the same, and went to the Mocha Frigate, then lying at St. Marie’s aforesaid: And the said Captain Kidd, with the Men that remained with him, carried their Shares on board the Prize Ship, called the Quidah Merchant, and ran the said Galley on shore, being very leaky; and having stript her of her Furniture, set her on Fire to get her Iron-work; and put all that they could save, of, or belonging to the said Galley, on board the said Prize Ship; with which the said Captain Kidd, and the men that remained with him, and some others that he had procured there, came from St. Marie’s aforesaid, and arrived in some time afterwards at the Island of Anguilla, in the West Indies: Where being informed that the said Kidd, and his Company, were proclaimed Pirates, the said Captain Kidd, and the men on board with him, went with the said Ship to the Island of St. Thomas; but the Governor of the said Island would not allow the said Ship to come in there: Whereupon we sailed to Mona; and there met with one Mr. Bolton, of Antegoa, Merchant; of whom Captain Kidd bought the Sloop Antonio, in which he lately came to Boston; gave, as this Examinant was informed 3000 Pieces of Eight for the same, and took from out of the Prize Ship, into the said Sloop, Forty Bales of the Goods on board the said Ship, and about Thirty Bales of Sugar; and left the said Ship at Hispaniola, about Six or Seven Weeks since in the Custody of the said Mr. Boulton, and 12 Men more: And the said Captain Kidd promised to return again to the said Ship, in the Space of Three Months; and the said Boulton promised to stay with the same for so long time; Which Ship the said Captain Kidd left lying in the River, in Hispaniola aforesaid, to be reckoned about Eighteen Leagues from Mona.

The Examinant further saith, That, after the said Galley had taken the Two Ships before-mentioned, She also, in her Passage to St. Marie’s aforesaid, took a Bark or Ship, of the Burden of 180 Tons, with about Seventy Persons on board, navigated with Portuguez: She came from Bengall; and was bound to Goa; and had on board Bengalls, Muslins, Calicoes, and other things, which the Galley’s Company began to plunder, and bring on board the Galley; but seeing several Ships coming down towards them, the said Galley, with the other two Prizes she had taken, came to sail, and left the said last Prize at a Place between Brin John and Angingo, so called being an English and Dutch Factory, and left on board the same all the Company belonging thereto, except the Master, Merchant, and Seven Men more, that came on board the Galley when she first took the said Ship: And the Vessel that was first taken by the said Galley, as before-mentioned, was, by the said Galley’s Company, sunk at St. Marie’s aforesaid, after they had brought her thither.

And the said William Jinkins the Examinant further saith, That whilst Captain Kidd and his Company, lay with the said Ship Quidah Merchant at Mona aforesaid, one Burt, Merchant of Curaso, came to them in a Brigantine, and purchased several Goods of the said Captain Kidd; for which he paid Part in money, and Part in Flour.

Further saith, That the first Place that the Sloop Antonio aforesaid touched at, after the said Captain Kidd, and his Company, left the said Ship at Mona aforesaid, was the Horekills in Dellaware Bay, where the said Sloop staid Two Days: and one James Gillam, a Passenger that came with the said Kidd from Madagascar, being one of the Mocha’s Frigate’s Crew, sent his Chest on shore there, being a large chest and heavy; which the Examinant supposeth to be full of India Goods, and was stowed in the said Sloop’s Hold in the Passage from Mona: After the said Sloop had staid at the Horekills aforesaid about Two Days, she sailed to Gardner’s Island, and anchored there; where Captain Kidd sent on shore Two Bales of Goods, Two Negro Boys, and a Negro Girl, and delivered them to Mr. Gardner; and were not brought on board the Sloop again, the Examinant remaining on board almost all the time; neither was anything more carried on shore, there, to this Examinant’s knowledge: And there was, in Company with the said Sloop under Captain Kidd’s command, a Sloop said to belong to New York, whereon one Hardrick, a Dutchman, a young Man, was either Skipper, or one of the Company; into which Sloop there was put Two or more Bales, One of them being Bengall Silks, all belonging to one Humphry Clay, and Four or more Chests belonging to said Humph Clay, English Smith, Gabriel Luffe, and Martin Skinke: This Examinant was informed, the said Sloop was bound on a trading Voyage to Martha’s Vineard, with Rum and Fruckin Cloth; but, having received the said Bales and Chests on board, did not proceed to Martha’s Vineard, but went back again for New York. The said Captain Kidd and his Company, then proceeded with his Sloop to Block Island: and put nothing on shore there, only Two Guns about Two or Three hundred Weight apiece, which Captain Kidd gave to one Sands: Then the Sloop went to Tarpolin Cove, where One or more Bales of the Captain’s were put on shore, and delivered to the Man that dwells there.

And the Examinant saith, That nothing that was put on shore at any of the Places aforesaid, was, to his Knowledge, received on board the said Sloop again: and that nothing was put on shore at any other Place, than what is before-mentioned.

The Examinant further saith, That Captain Kidd traded with Mr. Boulton and Mr. Burt aforesaid, for the Quantity of Twenty Bales of Goods or thereabouts, as he supposes; besides what those of his Company with them: Six of which, viz., Michael Callaway, John Hales, John Beovender, Wm. Boyer, Neece, a Dutchman and Nouter, a Dutchman, went to Caracao in Burt’s Brigantine, and one other, named John Ware, went thither also in a small sloop.

Signed

William W. G. Jinkins.

Boston, 6 July, 1699. Taken before his Excellency and Council

Isa Addington. Secretary.

The foregoing examination of Wm. Jinkins being read unto Richard Barlycorne, aged about Eighteen Years, Apprentice to Captain Wm. Kidd,

He saith, That the same is true, as to the Substance thereof.

And further saith, That James Gillam carried Two Chests on shore at the Horekills, which were stowed in the Hold of the Sloop: After they came from the Horekills, they stopt at Gardner’s Island; and went from thence to Oyster Bay; there took in Mr. Emott of New York; and set him on shore at Rhode Island; in some Days afterwards, Mr. Emot returned to the Sloop again, as she lay off Rhode Island; then they went to Gardner’s Island; who went from thence, in a Whale Boat, over to Long Island: And at Gardner’s Island, Captain Kidd sent on shore there, Two Bales of Goods, a Box, and Two Negro Boys, and a Girl, committed to the Charge of Mr. Gardner. The Examinant also sent Two Bales of his own, and his Chest, on shore there; and Dick the Black, another Bale: and one Robert Avery, a Passenger that came with them from Madagascar, went on shore there, and carried some Bundles of Muslin, Silks, and other Goods of his own; and a Box about Three Foot long, and a Foot deep: Knows not what was in it; It was handed over the Sloop’s Side. There was also a Sloop of New York, lying at Gardner’s Island, into which there was put about the Quantity of 15 or 16 Bales of Goods, Whole or in Pieces; and about 9 or 10 Chests; Which Goods and Chests belonged to Humphry Clay, Gabriel Luffe, Samuel Wood, Captain Davis a Passenger, Martin Skinke, John Arris, and English Smith: The Sloop was full. From Gardner’s Island we sailed to Block Island, and there took in Captain Kidd’s Wife, and one Mr. Clark of New York; and then stood towards Gardner’s Island again, and met a New York Sloop, bound home, and put Mr. Clark on board of her: And Captain Kidd put a Chest on board said Sloop: He knows not what was in it: John Arris put another chest on board: and Wm. Jinkins, a Bale of Goods; and some other Bundles, that were made out of the Bales, were also put on board said Sloop; and all, as aforesaid, committed unto the said Mr. Clark: The Captain’s Chest was hoisted out of the Hold. They stopt at Tarpolin Cove; and there put on shore One Bale, Two Barrels, and a Box of Goods, delivered unto the Man that dwells there: And, as they came over to Nantinket Shoals, they met a Sloop from the Bay, commanded by one Captain Way; which said Way came on board our Sloop; and, when he went off again;—in his canoe, by Captain Kidd’s order, Two or Three small arms, a Pendulum Clock bought of Captain Wright, Commander of the Quidah Merchant; a Pair of Stilliards, and a Bag about as big as the Crown of his Hat, sealed up; which the Examinant supposes to be Money.

Further the Examinant saith, That, when they came from Hispaniola, Captain Kidd told Mr. Boulton, whom he left in Charge of the Ship that he would return to him again in a short time, after he had spoken with my Lord Bellamont; and that the New York Sloop, whereinto they put the Goods at Gardner’s Island as aforesaid, was an open Sloop, manned with Two Men, named Coster and Hendrick: There was Three Bales of Goods, and Two Bags of Sugar, delivered out of the Sloop Antonio at Boston, unto Mr. Duncan Campbell. Saith, He knows not what sum Captain Kidd paid for the Purchase of the Sloop.

Richard Barlycorne.

Boston. 8th July 1699: taken before us

Boston, 8th July, 1699.

The Two foregoing Relations of Wm. Jinkins and Richard Barlycorne, being distinctly read over to me Robert Lamley, Apprentice to Abel Owen, Cook of the Adventure Galley, Captain William Kidd, Commander; and I, having been in the said Galley throughout her whole Voyage, and, since the Loss of her, in the Ship Quidah Merchant, and Sloop Antonio, do affirm and testify to the Truth of the said Relations respectively, as to the Substance of the same, as the several Articles thereof.

Robert Lumley.

Taken before us.

Copy examined by

Isa Addington, Secretary.