CAPTAIN JOHN GOW
CAPTAIN JOHN GOW, ALIAS SMITH, AND HIS CREW
John Gow, alias Smith, was born at a place called Caristoun, in the Orkney Islands, and was brought up a sailor from his youth, having served on board several Men-of-War, and last of all on board the Suffolk, along with T. Swan, who was engaged with him in the conspiracy to murder Captain Ferneau, and seize the ship and cargoe, as they went off the Texel, but they were prevented by James Belvin, who was led into the secret and discovered it. Captain Ferneau taking little notice of it, contented himself with turning off Swan, and preferred Gow to be second Mate and Gunner.
They sailed on board the George Galley, August the 1st, 1724, from the Texel to Santa Cruz, having 15000l. on board, when Gow designed to have seized the Ship as they went out, but could not get a party strong enough to join with him, till he worked up a misunderstanding between the Captain and part of the crew, concerning the provisions of the ship, particularly Winter, Peterson, and Mc.Cawley, who came upon the Quarter-Deck, in presence of the Owners, just before they sailed, and made a long complaint against the Captain; who assured them that if there was any wrong done them, it was not by his consent; and that he would enquire into it as soon as they had unmoored the ship.
About eight a clock at night, Captain Ferneau, as usual, called them up to prayers in the great Cabin, and then set the watch, and went to sleep, little thinking his end was so near, when Winter, Rawlisson, and Melvin, begun the scene of blood, Gow lying snug in his hammock, as if he knew nothing of the matter, till he saw whether the villany would succeed, or not. Winter cut the Doctor’s throat as he was asleep in his hammock, and then went up to Melvin and Rawlisson, who in the mean time had seized the Captain and cut his throat also, but not touching the windpipe, Gow stept up and shot him with a brace of bullets, and then threw him over-board. Mc.Cawley cut Stephen Algiers the Clerk’s throat, as he lay in the hammock, and Williams shot him dead afterwards. Peterson cut the throat of Bonaventure Jelphs, the Chief Mate; and Michael Moor, at the Command of Williams, shot him.
After this Williams came upon the Quarter-Deck, and saluted Gow with Captain Ferneau’s sword, first striking it upon one of the guns, and saying, Welcome Captain Gow, welcome to your new Command. After which, Gow told the men, That if any of them durst murmur or cabal together, they must expect to meet with the same Fate; and then calling a Council, they agreed to go, Upon the Account, as they called it.
They called the ship the Revenge, and mounted six more of her guns, she being able to carry four and twenty in all. But instead of going to Genoa as intended, they sailed for the coasts of Spain and Portugal, in hopes of getting a ship laden with wine, to keep up their spirits; but all was alike they met with; and instead of wine, they contented themselves with fish, which they took out of a ship called the Delight of Poole, Thomas Wise, Master, bound from New-England to Cadiz, out of which they took the men, and what they wanted, and then sunk the Ship, to prevent their being discovered to the English Men-of-War who lay in the Straights.