FOOTNOTES
[87] Paul Williams, sometimes styled Paulsgrave Williams, is said to have been born on Nantucket. Later he lived at Newport, Rhode Island.
[88] The Trials of Eight Persons Indited for Piracy, Boston, 1717.
[89] The Trials of Eight Persons Indited for Piracy, Boston, 1717.
[90] Johnson, History of the Pirates, London, 1726.
[91] Johnson, History of the Pirates, London, 1726.
[92] The Trials of Eight Persons Indited for Piracy, Boston, 1717.
[93] About two and one-half miles south of the present life-saving station at Wellfleet.
[94] Massachusetts Historical Society Collections, Vol. III, p. 120.
[95] Massachusetts Archives, Vol. II, leaf 165.
CHAPTER IX
George Lowther who Captured Thirty-Three Vessels in Seventeen Months
Most of the piracies perpetrated by this man took place away from the New England coast, but as he aided Capt. Ned Low to begin his piratical career and at various times was his consort, it seems proper to include here some relation of the villainies that he committed. Lowther was an Englishman and an honest man when he sailed from London in March, 1721, as second mate of the ship “Gambia Castle,” owned by the Royal African Company and commanded by Capt. Charles Russell. The ship was carrying stores and a company of soldiers to the river Gambia, on the African coast, to garrison a fort some time before captured and destroyed by Capt. Howel Davis, the pirate. She came to anchor at Gambia in May and before long disputes arose between Lowther and Captain Russell in which many of the crew sided with the second mate. These disputes eventually led to a conspiracy whereby the ship was seized during the absence of the captain on shore, and with Lowther in command the ship sailed down the river.
When safely at sea Lowther called the entire company together and made a speech in which he pointed out the folly of returning to England, for, by seizing the ship they had been guilty of an offence, the penalty of which was hanging, and for one he didn’t propose to chance such a fate. Continuing, he said if the company didn’t accept his proposal he only asked to be set ashore in some safe place. His proposal was that they should seek their fortunes on the seas as other brave men had done before them. The sailors and soldiers on board proved to be a crowd of good fellows not suited for the gallows or damp prison cells and so fell in with his suggestions. The cabins were knocked down, the ship made flush fore and aft and renamed the “Happy Delivery,” and the following “Articles” were drawn up, signed and, strangely enough, sworn to upon a Bible, viz:—
“1. The Captain is to have two full Shares; the Master is to have one Share and a half; the Doctor, Mate, Gunner, and Boatswain, one Share and a quarter.
“2. He that shall be found guilty of taking up any unlawful Weapon on Board the Privateer, or any Prize, by us taken, so as to strike or abuse one another, in any regard, shall suffer what Punishment the Captain and Majority of the Company shall think fit.
“3. He that shall be found Guilty of Cowardice, in the Time of Engagement, shall suffer what Punishment the Captain and Majority shall think fit.
“4. If any Gold, Jewels, Silver, &c. be found on Board of any Prize or Prizes, to the Value of a Piece of Eight, and the Finder do not deliver it to the Quarter-Master, in the Space of 24 Hours, shall suffer what Punishment the Captain and Majority shall think fit.
“5. He that is found Guilty of Gaming, or Defrauding another to the Value of a Shilling, shall suffer what Punishment the Captain and Majority of the Company shall think fit.
“6. He that shall have the Misfortune to lose a Limb, in Time of Engagement, shall have the Sum of one hundred and fifty Pounds Sterling, and remain with the Company as long as he shall think fit.
“7. Good Quarters to be given when call’d for.
“8. He that sees a Sail first, shall have the best Pistol, or Small-Arm, on Board her.”
This occurred on June 13, 1721. Seven days later, near Barbadoes, they came in sight of the brigantine “Charles,” James Douglass, master, owned in Boston in the Massachusetts Bay, which fell into their hands without any resistance and was plundered in the usual piratical manner. No one on board was injured and the vessel was let go without damage. Several other captures were made near Hispaniola including a Spanish pirate that recently had taken a Bristol ship, then in company. The Spaniards being engaged in the same trade expected some consideration at the hands of Lowther, but he rifled and then burned both ships, permitting the Spaniards to go away unharmed in their launch and adding all the English sailors to his own pirate crew. Meanwhile the news of his venture on the high seas had reached England and in September, H. M. Ship “Feversham,” stationed at Barbadoes, was reported to have taken Lowther, so Captain Russell set out from Plymouth for Barbadoes to take possession of his ship and give evidence against Lowther and his crew.[96] Unfortunately for him, on his arrival at Barbadoes he learned that the capture had not been made. About that time Lowther took a small sloop owned at St. Christopher’s which he manned from his enlarged crew and together they made for a small island where the vessels were careened and their bottoms cleaned and here the company spent some time drinking and carousing with some Indian women they had seized.
About Christmas time, 1721, they went aboard their vessels and took a course across the Caribbean for the Bay of Honduras, but running short of water made for the Grand Caimane islands to fill up the water butts. While here a small vessel came into the same harbor with only thirteen men aboard and with a man named Edward Low in command. It turned out that this company had recently come away from a Boston sloop in the Bay of Honduras and had turned pirates like themselves. Lowther accordingly proposed to Captain Low that they should join forces and shortly an agreement was reached and all went aboard the “Happy Delivery.” The joint adventures of these kindred spirits are related at length in the chapter on Captain Edward Low, until Low’s ambition led to a rupture between them. They separated at night on May 28, 1722, in the latitude of 38°, and Captain Lowther set a course for the mainland and took three or four fishing vessels off New York.
On June 2d, the ship “Mary Galley,” Peter King, master, was overhauled, in latitude 35°. She was bound homeward to Boston from the Barbadoes and from her Lowther took thirteen hogsheads and a barrel of rum, a sufficient supply to wet thirsty throats for some days it would seem. He also secured five barrels of sugar and several cases of loaf sugar and pepper, a box of English goods and six negroes. The passengers were examined and robbed of all their money and plate and at eleven o’clock the next morning the ship was allowed to proceed. She reached Boston on the 14th and soon the intelligence was published in the newspapers. At the time of this capture Lowther was reported as commanding a sloop mounting four guns. About the same time sloops from the West Indies arriving at New York, brought news of the capture of a New York sloop, Thomas Noxon, master, on the voyage to Jamaica, loaded with provisions. The captain and crew had been marooned but taken off by a passing vessel bound for Bermuda. This may have been an earlier capture of Lowther. He next appeared near the Capes of the Chesapeake and cruised on and off for nearly three weeks, the wind being southerly and blowing an easy gale. Many persons harvesting on plantations near the shore reported the strange vessels, for Lowther and Harris were than in company. Several times they sailed up the bay for ten or twelve leagues and on July 8th brought down with them a large sloop taken high up in the bay. That night the vessels anchored at no great distance from shore and the excited neighborhood heard drums beating “all night,” so says the report, and could see a large number of men on board. Trade between the Capes was entirely stopped, no vessels daring to venture out. Franklin’s newspaper, the “New England Courant,” when publishing this information just arrived from Philadelphia, makes the satirical comment that for some time no man-of-war had been seen in the vicinity, “who, by dear experience, we know, love Trading better than Fighting.” One vessel did enter safely through the Capes, the sloop “Little Joseph,” commanded by Captain Hargrave, “who sailed from hence about two months ago for the Island of St. Christophers, but was taken by the Pyrates three Times and rifled of most of her Cargo, so that she was obliged to return back.”[97]
From the Capes of the Chesapeake, Captain Lowther directed a course southerly and near the South Carolina coast met a ship just out of port bound for England,—the “Amy,” Captain Gwatkins. Lowther hoisted his piratical colors and fired a gun. Captain Gwatkins did not lose courage at sight of the black flag and replied with a broadside which caused Lowther to sheer off and the ship getting the pirate between her and the shore stood boldly after him. Finding that at last he had “caught a Tartar,” Lowther ran in towards shore and at length went aground and landed all his men with their arms. Captain Gwatkins hove to as near in-shore as he dared and filling one of his boats with armed men rowed toward the stranded sloop with the intention of setting it on fire. Most unfortunately, just before reaching the vessel, a volley from Lowther’s men on shore picked off Captain Gwatkins, wounding him fatally, after which the mate turned about and made for the ship without attempting farther to reach the sloop. When the “Amy” had left them, Lowther soon got his vessel afloat but found her in shattered condition. During the engagement he had a good many men killed and wounded and all in all it seemed best to pull into one of the many inlets on the North Carolina coast and refit and allow his wounded to recover. This required more time than he had anticipated and soon winter was at hand and at their chosen anchorage they finally remained until the next spring. Much of the time during the winter months was spent in hunting black cattle, hogs, etc., to supply fresh meat. The crew was divided up into small parties and sent out to ravage the back country, at last coming back to their huts and tents near the sloop where they lodged during the winter and only went on board when the weather grew very cold.
Spring came at last and leaving their winter quarters they went to sea steering a course for the fishing banks off Newfoundland. On June 18th, 1723, the schooner “Swift” of Boston, John Hood, master, fell into their hands and supplied them with forty barrels of salt beef, very much needed at the time. Other miscellaneous stores were taken and three men—Andrew Hunter, Henry Hunter and Jonathan Deloe—were forced to join the pirate crew. Lowther’s sloop at that time had ten guns mounted.[98]
Several other captures were made on the banks or in harbors along shore but none supplied much plunder. On July 5th, being then about a hundred leagues eastward of the banks of Newfoundland, Lowther overhauled the brigantine “John and Elizabeth,” owned in Boston, Richard Stanny, master, bound home from Holland having called at Dover. Captain Stanny afterward reported that Lowther at that time had with him about twenty men and the sloop mounted only seven guns. The pirates broke open the hatches and helped themselves to a variety of merchandise and stores and forced two men,—Ralph Kendale of Sunderland, county Durham, and Henry Watson of Dover. These men struggled against being forced on board the sloop and before this was accomplished were badly whipped and beaten.[99] At the time this capture was made Lowther was headed for warmer waters and early in September, in company with Capt. Ned Low, reached Fayal in the Western Islands, as is related elsewhere.
The depredations of Low and Lowther that spring and summer aroused the fears of every shipmaster along the New England coast and every unrecognized vessel was imagined to be a rogue. Capt. James Codin on his passage from New York to Newport, R. I., sighted a sloop at anchor near Fisher’s Island which immediately made sail and chased him all day so that he concluded the sloop to be a pirate, more especially as he was followed when he altered his course. Captain Codin made for Stonington which he reached safely during the evening. The next morning the strange sloop was not in sight. She afterwards proved to be a New York sloop commanded by one Captain Heed, homeward bound from Jamaica. Not long after a sloop with a white bottom and eight gun-ports came to anchor near Block Island and sent a boat ashore for fresh provisions and a pilot. At Captain Rea’s some sheep were bought and payment was made in silver money. “It is conjectured to be Lowther the Pirate.”[100] Two weeks later the Boston newspapers published a new batch of information according to which the sloop at Block Island proved to be a Londoner, owned by the Royal Assiento Company, and commanded by Capt. Rupert Wappen. She mounted eight guns and carried a crew of thirty-nine men, and on board were ten or twelve chests of silver money, a fact which her captain seems to have been at no pains to conceal. She was said to have come from Laver de Cruz and South Carolina and to be bound for Jamaica and was waiting at Block Island for a pilot.
About the same time Capt. George Slyfield arrived at Philadelphia from South Carolina, in the sloop “Lincolnshire,” with the news that Lowther had gone to Cape Fear, to careen and Governor Nickolson had sent an Indian to learn the truth of the report and was also fitting out a man-of-war to go in search. And so the rumors flew about.
CAPT. GEORGE LOWTHER AT PORT MAYO
From a rare engraving in the Harry Elkins Widener Collection, Harvard College Library
Meanwhile, Lowther, in the sloop “Happy Delivery,” cruised about the Western Islands with Low and then made for the Guinea coast and the West Indies where he seems to have left Low, for he was alone when he had the good luck to capture a Martinico vessel that gave him greatly needed provisions. Not long after, a Guinea-man, the “Princess,” Captain Wickstead, surrendered to him. The bottom of the “Happy Delivery” having become foul, Lowther began to look about for a suitable inlet in which to careen and finally hit upon the island of Blanco which lies between the islands of Margarita and Rocas and is not far from Tortuga. It is a low-lying island, about two leagues in circumference and uninhabited. It is well wooded and there is a heavy scrub growth everywhere. Besides being frequented by large sea turtles it supports great numbers of iguanas, a kind of lizard that grows to a length of about five feet and is very good to eat; in fact, the pirates used to go there to catch them, as was well-known at the time. On the northwest end of the island there is a small cove or sandy bay and here Lowther, about the first of October, 1723, unrigged his sloop, sent the guns, sails, etc., ashore and began to careen his vessel. Just at this time, most unfortunately for him, there appeared off the cove, the armed sloop “Eagle,” Walter Moore, commander, owned by Colonel Otley of the island of St. Christopher. She was bound for Comena, in Spanish territory, and passing near this well-known resort for pirates and catching sight of the sloop on the careen and so unprepared, Captain Moore decided to grasp the advantage and attack the rogues. So he fired a gun to oblige them to show their colors and they hoisted the St. George’s flag to their topmast head. But Captain Moore felt sure that she was no trader and so came in close. When Lowther found that the strange sloop was determined to engage him he opened fire from the shore, but was at so great a disadvantage that shortly his men called for quarter and began to run for the woods behind them. All resistance was soon over and Captain Moore got the “Happy Delivery” off, secured her, and then went ashore with twenty-five men in search of Lowther and his crew, and after five days of beating about the bushes succeeded in taking sixteen of the pirates including the sloop’s surgeon and seven others who surrendered themselves as forced men. Lowther they were unable to discover. At last abandoning further search Captain Moore continued his voyage to Comena, with the captured sloop in company, and on his arrival the Spanish Governor condemned the sloop a prize to the Englishman and also sent a sloop with twenty-three armed men to make further search for pirates at the island of Blanco. This search resulted in the capture of four more men whom the Spanish Governor tried and condemned to slavery for life. Captain Lowther and three of his men were able to conceal themselves in some dense undergrowth and so escaped capture, but not long after another party visited the island and came upon his dead body with a pistol beside it and it was supposed that in desperation he at last committed suicide.
The sloop “Eagle,” having brought Captain Moore’s prisoners to St. Christopher’s, a Court of Vice-Admiralty was held on Mar. 11, 1724 when the following men were tried for piracy, viz: John Churchill, Edward Mackdonald, Nicholas Lewis, Richard West, Samuel Levercott, Robert White, John Shaw, Andrew Hunter, Jonathan Deloe, Matthew Freeborn, Henry Watson, Roger Granger, Ralph Candor and Robert Willis. The last three were acquitted, and the others found guilty, two of them, however, being recommended to mercy, were afterwards pardoned. Eleven of Lowther’s piratical crew accordingly were hanged by the neck until dead on Mar. 20, 1724, on a gallows erected between high- and low-water mark at St. Christopher’s in the West Indies.