The Memorial and humble Representation of Thomas Davis of Bristol in Great Britain, Shipwright,
Sheweth, That in the month of September last past he sailed out of Bristol as Carpenter of the Ship St. Michael, whereof James Williams was the Commander, bound for Jamaica, and on or about the sixteenth day of December following We met two Pyrate Sloops, One Commanded by Capt Samuel Bellame, and the other by Monsr. Louis Le Bou, who took the said ship about twenty Leagues off of Sabia and Carried us to the Island of Blanco, w[h]ere we were kept till the ninth day of January when your Memo. (with about fourteen more Prisoners taken by the said Pyrate Sloope) was forced on board the ship Sultan Gally, taken from Capt. John Richards, then under the said Bellames Command, And afterwards the said Bellame took another ship called the Whiddo, and your Memo., with the rest of the said Ships Compa., Came in her upon this Coast, where she was Cast away, as is very well known, and your Memo, (with one Jno. Julian[2]) only Escaped. And since his Imprisonm't he is Informed That some have Reported That your Memo. was several times on board the said ship after she was Cast away and knew where a considerable part of her Treasure was, and that he had Concealed some of it;[3] and many other things have been given out Concerning your Memo. very falsely, to the great prejudice of your Memo., Who is altogether Ignorant of what is Alledged against him, And hath already Discharged his Conscience by making a true and full Discovery of all he knows referring to the premises. But your Memo. being a stranger was not Credited and therefore he had no better Fare than the Pyrates, being in Chains as well as they; Whereas he declares from his heart that he was forced along with them, very Contrary to his will and to his great grief and sorrow, and was no ways Active among them any further than he was Compelled.
And forasmuch as your Memo. understands that the Pyrates in Prison suspect that he will make such discoverys as will not be pleasing to them, he is fearfull least they should hurt him, if not deprive him of life, to prevent his Testimony against them. Your Memo. therefore and for the Considerations before mentioned Humbly prays your Excellency and Honours will so far Indulge him as to free him from his Chains and Imprisonm't with the pyrates, and that he may have some Apartm't seperate from them, and that such other Relief may be Given to your poor pet'r (who is Innocent of what is laid to his Charge) as the matter will bear, and as to your Excellency and Honours in your great Moderation and Compassion shall seem meet.
And your Memo. (as in Duty bound) shall ever pray, etc.
Thomas Davis.
[1] Suffolk Court Files, fragment 26283, paper 2. With this memorial we may connect a passage in the pamphlet Trials: "Mr. Valentine [counsel for Davis] moved, That an Affidavit under the firm seal of a Notary Publick in Great Britain, and in favour of the prisoner, should be read in open Court", but the request was denied, as contrary to the act of Parliament requiring all evidence respecting pirates to be given viva voce. Davis is recorded as a shipwright, aged 22, born in Carmarthenshire, who "had used the sea these five years".
[2] So the manuscript reads, but it is doubtless an error for "Jno. Indian", which in the handwriting of that day would look much the same; we know that one Englishman and one Indian alone escaped, and in the printed Trials it was testified that the pirates had "one Lambeth and one Indian born at Cape Cod for Pilots."
[3] See [doc. no. 110].
115. Petition of William Davis. 1717.[1]
To His Excellency the Governour and Council