Quelch came from Old England as did most of his crew. He was born in London and was about thirty-eight years old. Scudamore had been apprenticed to a cooper in Bristol, England; Miller came from Yorkshire; Peterson was a Swede; Roach was an Irishman; and King was born in Scotland. Of the New England men, John Lambert may serve as an example typical of the rest. He was born in Salem and at the time of his execution was about forty-nine years old. His father and grandfather were fishermen and he, too, doubtless followed the sea although in deeds he is called a “ship wright.” At the time that he sailed with Quelch he was married and had children. In his testimony during the trial he claimed that he was sick in the gun room at the time the captain was confined in his cabin and that he was forced to go on the voyage to the south. However, during the voyage he was as active as the rest and accepted his share of the spoils, but claimed that if he had not accepted, the company might have killed him or set him ashore on some desolate island where he would have starved to death. However that may be he suffered death with the others. A broad-sheet issued at the time, giving an account of the “Behaviour and last Dying Speeches of the Six Pirates, that were Executed on Charles River, Boston Side, on Fryday, June 30, 1704,” states that on the gallows Lambert “appeared much hardened and pleaded much on his Innocency: He desired all men to beware of Bad Company; he seemed in a great Agony near his Execution.”

Previous to the day of the execution “the Ministers of the Town had used more than ordinary Endeavours to Instruct the Prisoners, and bring them to Repentance. There were Sermons Preached in their hearing Every Day; And Prayers daily made with them, And they were Catechised; and they had many occasional Exhortations, And nothing was left that could be done for their Good,”—so says the broad-sheet. It must have been a harrowing ordeal for the victims. The Reverend Cotton Mather, who never failed to be present at public executions, preached a sermon which was printed under the title of “Faithful Warnings to prevent Fearful Judgments,” and he and another minister walked with the condemned in solemn procession on that Friday afternoon, from the prison to Scarlett’s wharf, when “the silver oar” was carried before them as they continued by water to the place where the gallows had been set up between high- and low-water mark off a point of land just below Copp’s hill “about midway between Hudson’s Point and Broughton’s warehouse.”[83] The condemned were guarded by forty musketeers and the constables of the town and were preceded by the Provost Marshal and his officers. Great crowds gathered to see the execution. Judge Sewall in his diary comments on the great number of people on Broughton’s hill, as Copp’s hill was called at that time.

“But when I came to see how the River was cover’d with People, I was amazed: Some say there were 100 Boats. 150 Boats and Canoes, saith Cousin Moodey of York. Mr. Cotton Mather came with Capt. Quelch and six others for Execution from the Prison to Scarlet’s Wharf, and from thence in the Boat to the place of Execution about midway between Hanson’s [sic] point and Broughton’s Warehouse. When the scaffold was hoisted to a due height, the seven Malefactors went up: Mr. Mather pray’d for them standing upon the Boat. Ropes were all fasten’d to the Gallows (save King, who was Repriev’d). When the Scaffold was let to sink, there was such a Screech of the Women that my wife heard it sitting in our Entry next the Orchard, and was much surprised at it; yet the wind was sou-west. Our house is a full mile from the place.”

Faithful Warnings to prevent Fearful
Judgments.
Uttered in a brief
DISCOURSE,
Occasioned, by a
Tragical Spectacle,
in a Number of
Miserables
Under a Sentence of Death for
PIRACY.
At BOSTON in N. E. Jun. 22. 1704
Deut. XIII. 11.
All Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.
Occultam culpam sequitur aperta percussio.
Cassiodor.
Boston, Printed & Sold by Timothy Green, at the North End of the Town. 1704.

According to the custom of the time the bodies remained hanging on a gibbet until by decay they gradually disappeared.[84] There was an exception made, for some reason, in the case of Lambert for his body was turned over to his widow after his son and others had made petition to Judge Sewall. It was buried that night about midnight in the old burying ground “near some of his relatives.”

In his speech on the gallows Quelch warned the people to “take care how they brought money into New England, to be Hanged for it” and he also asked “Gentlemen, I desire to be informed for what I am here. I am condemned only upon Circumstances.” Peterson also complained of the injustice done him; and said, “it is very hard for so many mens Lives to be taken away for a little Gold.”[85]

While the trial was yet in progress, accounts of charges in connection with the seizure of Quelch and his company began to come in. Judge Sewall and his Commission of Inquiry were awarded £25.7.10 for their sitting at Marblehead and journey to Cape Ann. Paul Dudley, the Attorney-General, received £36 for his work, while Meinzies, who defended the prisoners, was given £20 and then only after petitioning the Council on Aug. 4th for the usual fee “according to Custome in the like Case.” Sheriff Dyer for his service was paid five pounds and Thomas Bernard “for erecting the gibbet” was awarded forty shillings additional “to be paid out of the treasure.” By the time all accounts had been adjusted the sum of £726.19.4 had been “paid out of the treasure.”

By October, 1705, the officials of the Province were ready to turn over to the Crown what remained of the “Coyn’d, Bar and Dust Gold imported by Capt. John Quelch.” This was weighed by Jeremiah Dummer, the Boston goldsmith, and found to be 788 ounces and after being placed in five leather bags, properly marked and sealed, it was sent by H. M. Ship “Guernsey,” to the “Lord high Treasurer of England for her Majesty’s use,” and so ended what has been characterized as “one of the clearest cases of judicial murder in our American annals,”[86] save that Governor Dudley’s personal interest in the case appeared on May 27, 1707 when there was awaiting his order in London, the “royal bounty” awarded to him as his share of the “pirate money.” Not long after the trial of the pirates the Rev. Cotton Mather quarrelled with the Governor and published in London in 1708—“The Deplorable State of New England, By Reason of a Covetous and Treacherous Governor,” in which appears the following paragraph indicating that acts of piracy at that time were not confined entirely to the high seas.

“III There have been odd Collusions with the Pyrates of Quelch’s Company, of which one Instance is, That there was Extorted the Sum of about Thirty Pounds from some of the Crue, for Liberty to Walk at certain times in the Prison Yard; and this Liberty having been Allow’d for Two or Three Days unto them, they were again Confined to their former Wretched Circumstances.”