SAMUEL SEWALL, CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT IN MASSACHUSETTS, 1718-1728
From an original painting in possession of the Massachusetts Historical Society]
On February 20th, on petition of Thomas Hawkins and others, the sentence of death was remitted on Hawkins, Warren, Watts, Lander, Griffin, Siccadam, Buck and Dunn on payment of twenty marks[56] each in money, to reimburse the charges of the prosecution and imprisonment or else be sold into Virginia. Pound’s name was not included with the others but four days later, he was further reprieved from execution at the instance of Mr. Epaphras Shrimpton and sundry women of quality. Who these “women of quality” were is not known but Thomas Hawkins’s sisters had married the leading men of the Colony and may have joined in the petitions. One sister had been the second wife of Adam Winthrop, brother of Waitstill Winthrop, who worked so earnestly for the reprieves. At that time she was the wife of John Richards, one of the magistrates, who had tried the pirates. Another sister was the wife of Rev. James Allen of the First Church. Hannah Hawkins had married Elisha Hutchinson, another of the magistrates, and Abigail, married the Hon. John Foster, while Hawkins lay in prison. Certainly these were “women of quality,” and it seems strange, at this late day, that one so well connected should have surreptitiously “gone privateering,” or, in plainer language, have engaged in piracy.
On April 20, 1690, the “Rose” frigate, John George, commander, lying before the town of Boston, whose sails had been returned by the King’s command, sailed from Nantasket for England, and carried Thomas Hawkins, the pirate, whose sentence had been remitted, and Thomas Pound, his captain, whose sentence had only been respited. The “Rose” went into Piscataqua where she lay for a month waiting for two mast ships to finish their lading and on May 19th sailed in convoy. On the 24th, off Cape Sable, they met a privateer, “or Pirot,” of thirty guns and well manned, from St. Malo, France. She came up under English colors and when hailed from the “Rose,” answered “Will tell you by and by.” Soon after she hoisted French colors and fired a broadside and not less than three hundred small arms. The “Rose” returned the fire to good purpose and the nearest mast-ship also engaged the Frenchman. The other mast-ship having only two guns stood off. At a distance of half a musket-shot the fight obstinately continued for nearly two hours.
“The Rose had her Mizzon shott down, her Ensign, her sails and Rigging much torn, but so bored the French Man’s sides that his Ports were made Two or three into one. It was almost quite Calm, else we had Run Thwart him with out Head, and possibly might have sent him Low enough, but we had not winde enough, so we Lay on his Quarter which we fired so that he was necessitated to cutt down and Cast into the Sea, which was so much as to burn in our View half an hour as it floated in the Sea. We saw his Captain and Lieutenant fall & believe we could not have killed less than a hundred of his men. His Tops were full of Grenadiers and Fuzes which we saw fall like Pidgeons, and Multitudes of his Men lay Slaughtered on his Decks. We would have taken him for Certain would our heavy Ship have workt, but he was a quick Sailor and so gott away. Captain George and Mr. Wiggoner were slaine with Musket shott, 5 Common men more were slain, and 7 desperately wounded. Mr. Maccarty’s man Michael lost his arm. Paul Main, Sam Mixture and Thomas Hawkins the Pirate, were amongst the slain.”[57]
Such was the end of Hawkins. As for Captain Pound,—he reached England safely and on July 8th, after his arrival at Falmouth, wrote to Sir Edmund Andros, then in London, announcing his return and sending the latest news from New England together with a short account of the fight with the privateer. Pound published in London in 1691, “A New Mapp of New England,” of which only one copy is now known,[58] and which served as a basis for other charts for nearly fifty years after. The charge of piracy seems to have been dismissed at once for on Aug. 5, 1690, he was appointed captain of the frigate “Sally Rose,” of the Royal Navy. In 1697 his ship was stationed at Virginia under his old patron Governor Andros. In 1699, he retired to private life and died in 1703, at Isleworth, county Middlesex, a “gentleman,” and respected by friends and neighbors.[59]
Captain Pound’s Company of Pirates
Captain Thomas Pound, pilot and sailing master on the “Rose” frigate; embarked from Boston in Hawkins’ boat; wounded in the fight at Tarpaulin Cove, shot in the side and arm and several bones taken out; found guilty but reprieved; sent to England where the charge was dismissed; given command of a ship, and died in 1703 in England, honored and respected.
Thomas Hawkins, son of Capt. Thomas Hawkins, a Boston privateersman, and Mary his wife; found guilty but reprieved; sent to England but on the voyage was killed in an engagement with a French privateer off Cape Sable.
Thomas Johnston, of Boston, “the limping privateer”; embarked from Boston in Hawkins’ boat; wounded in the fight at Tarpaulin Cove; shot in the jaw and several bones taken out; found guilty and hanged in Boston, Jan. 27, 1690; the only one of the company who was executed.
Eleazer Buck, embarked from Boston in Hawkins’ boat; had seven holes shot through his arms in the fight at Tarpaulin Cove; found guilty but pardoned on payment of twenty marks.[60]