[13] Carwar?
74. Deposition of Theophilus Turner. June 8, 1699.[1]
Maryland scilicet
Came Theophilus Turner, Borne at Heckfield near Hartley roade in Hampshire, Aged about thirty years, and being sworne upon the Holy Evangelists to declare the truth of what he knows concerning any Acts of Pyracy comitted by him or any others, saith:
That he sayled out of London about three years agoe in the Ship Hanniball, Captain William Hill Commander, which ship was a Merchant ship mounted with thirty two Gunns and Navigated with seventy Men, and went upon the Coast of Guinea, where the Captain put his Men to very short allowance so that severall of them, vizt. Henry Webber, 3d Mate, who afterwards Comanded the said ship, and severall others, took the ship from him and went to Brasile, where the Deponent and some others left the ship. After that the Deponent had lived at Brasile about one yeare, a French Vessell which had lost her top mast arrived there under the Comand of Mounsieur de Ley, on Board of which Vessell the deponent embarqued himselfe for the Coast of India, the said De Ley being bound to Bengall, in the Voyage whereto they touched at the Island of Johannah, an Island [whose] inhabitants are Arabians, which was in the Month of May or June 1698: and riding there at Anchor with the said ship, came a ship of fourty Gunns called the Resolution by the Men on Board, But understood her right name was the Moco,[2] from Madagaskar, Navigated with about 130 or 140 Men under the Comand of Captain Robert Culliford. De Ley weighed one Anchor and cut the other Cable, but Culliford chasing him took him and brought the deponent on Board them, being the only Englishman on board De Ley, and examined him concerning Deleys Loading, with many threats. after they plundered the ship and found there 2000 l. in money, besides Wine and Cloath, which they took, and because the Deponent was an Englishman they would not let him go on board De Ley again but kept him. After which the said Culliford sayled with the said ship upon the Coast of India: and about the middle of August came up with a Pyrate, who came out of America some where near Rhroad Island under the Comand of Richard Chivers, had 80 or 90 men and twelve Gunns, who kept Company and Consorted with Culliford. And about the End of September last they met off of Suratt with a turkey ship belonging to Suratt, which Chivers crew boarded: and the Quartermaster and some of Cullifords crew went on Board: she was laden with Pieces 8, Gold and Dollers, was reputed to the vallue of one Hundred and twenty or thirty thousand pounds. there were some shots made and several turks were killed and wounded and two or three of Chivers Company: they put the men on shoare on the Coast of India, sunck their own ship and took the turkey ship and then shared the money, about 700 or 800 l. a man in each ship, and gave the Deponent who pumped for them on occasion and was ready at call 250 l., not deeming him as one of them but in the nature of a prisoner, and told him if that he would go out with them their next Voyage, he should be all one as the rest. thence the said Culliford and Chivers sayled to Madagascoe, Port St. Marys, a large Island about three or four Hundred Leagues in Length inhabited by a numerous people being Negroes.
Theo. Turner.
Juratus coram me,
N. Blakiston.
[1] Public Record Office, C.O. 5:714, no. 70 VI. Original; a copy (no. 70 II.) is marked as sworn to before Colonel Blakiston, governor of Maryland, on June 8, 1699.
[2] The Mocha had been a frigate belonging to the East India Company. Piratical members of the crew, especially James Gillam, had murdered the captain and had seized the ship.