William Brand

Februrary 28 - Rayner, Captain. Although there is no evidence that Rayner ever sailed the Carolina coast, he did sail with Captain Kidd. In a letter dated "Philadelphia, February 28, 1701", William Penn wrote to the Lords of Trade in England, mentioning that several of Kidd's men had settled as planters in Carolina with Rayner as their captain.

February 27 - On this day in 1698, the East Company received several letters describing the harsh policies of pirates that encountered resistance. Merchant Captains that did not immediately surrender all goods were often tortured to the last farthing for resisting. And on this day in 1703, the privateer ship Charles took one of nine Portuguese ships during a month of captures.

February 25 - On this day in 1687, the Irish Order promises a reward and pardon for the discovery and apprehension of pirates. February 26 - While not a pirate, Sir Richard Haddock and interesting man of the sea. He was grandson of Captain Richard Haddock, who died April 20, 1660, and son of Mr. Haddock, who resided at Lee, where he was buried. The admiral erected a monument for the former : the latter has a grave-stone, with brass plates, oh which are engraved representations of himself and his three wives, ten sons ; and under the last wife eleven daughters. Thus numerous were the brothers and sisters of Sir Richard Haddock, who, being an able and gallant officer, and reaching the advanced age of 85 years, obtained very considerable posts of trust and profit. He was knighted before 1678, at which time he was returned a member of parliament for Aldborough, in Suffolk ; and in l685 he represented Shoreham, in Sussex. Sir Richard was appointed comptroller of the navy, one of the commissioners for victualling, and an admiral. He died February 26, 1713, and was buried with his ancestors, in the family vault at Lee. He was father of admiral Nicliolas Haddock. Also on this day in 1717, Frederick William I of Prussia-Brandenburg and Frederick IV of Denmark signed an alliance which cemented the fate of thousands over the next 200 years. Brandenburg-Prussia, as with most of Western Europe, had been embroiled in the war of Spanish Succession. Now that the conflict had ended, the German state turned east, to find in horror Sweden remained a large, looming threat. Western Pomerania was a most valuable strip of reality the Prussians couldn’t afford Sweden to have. Though they also had a formidable army on par with the Danish, the Danes had lost the Great Northern War…in a matter of months. A Swedish Invasion of Prussia, under any circumstance would be a violent and bloody affair. The Delta of The Oder also had fertile soils which would boost Prussian productivity. Denmark wasn’t too happy with Sweden’s ego either. At least they had left the war status quo antebellum and not lost too many men to Sweden’s efficient military. Both countries yearned for a time to strike Sweden in the gut. King in Prussia and Electorate of Brandenburg Frederick William I decided that it would be best if the two countries allied with one another in order to combat Sweden when she came. And on this day in 1718, numerous pirates surrendered to Pearse at Nassau. Pearse received them throughout the next two days as a steady stream of boats arrived ashore. The first boatloads included Hornigold, Williams. Burgess, Lesley, and Nichols, as well as Bellmay's old quartermaster, Richard Noland and Hornigolds guartermaster, John Martin. The list grew to some 209 pirates seeking pardon, including Thomas Terrill, John Cockram, Daniel Sillwell, Leigh Ashworth, Samuel Moody and Charles Vane.

The Fort Taylor Pyrate Invasion for 2016 is in the planning stages. Every year the parks service out of Tallahassee reviews our proposals to hold a pirate event in the fort at Key West. After ten years, you might think we'd get an automatic 'in' with the park locally and at the state level, but the management in both places changes all of the time, as do rules and policies regarding use. We've been really lucky to have both in our corner in times past, but no matter how long we've been there and how much we bring to the fort, we are still subject to review. This is why you should always hug the people that plan any given year for us. They jump through a lot of hoops and write a lot of proposals. This year the fort is considering some new changes and we'd talk about them here, but for one issue. Rumor control. It's simply better to wait for solid rules, answers, dates, etc than to start the year off on the many speculations that come with our proposals and theirs. So, what can we tell you? The Friends of Fort Taylor have met together and with the fort. The early stages of questions, answers and ideas are going back and forth between the powers that be. They are pushing for all the usual highlights of camping in the fort, with some battles, historical demos and the like. I promise to post what I know when it's solid information that you can bank on and calendar.

February 11 - Captain Croc, aka Krok, was one of the pirates known as a Seabeggar. He's remembered for cutting off the nose and ears of a priest before murdering him cruelly. The prince of Orange had him arrested and beheaded on this day in 1573. William Funell was Dampier’s steward and was promoted to the position of midshipsman aboard the 200-ton St. George in 1703 (others had it Funell was sailing master). Funell was involved in a privateering expedition during the War of Succession, but attacking French vessels was a delicate question at the time. St. George was joined by Cinque Ports, and this was the voyage where Alexander Selkirk decided to stay behind at Juan Fernández Island. Funell helped attack a well-armed 400-ton French vessel, “fought broadside and broadside for more than six hours”, but St. George took heavy casualties, with nine men killed and many badly wounded. Funell supported a mutiny led by Edward Morgan and set off in a prize brigantine on this day in 1705. “If I spoke a word they would dash my brains out,” said Dampier. Funell arrived in patria eighteen months earlier (August 1706) than Dampier did, after having been jailed in Ambon (in the Dutch Moluccas) for four months. Funell was thought to be clever in imitating Dampier’s successes with his own journals and chose to write his own 'A Voyage Round the World', published by Knapton, London, in 1707, which book was denounced by Dampier as a “chimerical relation”. Most of Funell's charges in his writings against Dampier were unproven and fueled in part by malice and self-preservation. February 12 - Duchesne was a filibuster from France from 1681 through 1689. He was in command of a ship that sailed from Saint Domingue to sack Tampico in the Gulf of Mexico in 1683. Duschesne was also in the fleet of Joseph Bannister in 1684. On this day in 1685, he served in command of Bannister’s 36-gun Golden Fleece, because Bannister was not supposed to sail under French colors. In September 1685 he was able to escape the Spanish flotilla that had hunted down Bréha and nearly ended De Graaf’s pirate career.

February 10 - Jan Abels was one of the first leaders of the Seabeggars in 1568. He was active with three vessels, manned by 40 people, in the Ems River. On this day in 1569, with a small boat and a crew of 25, Abels took a ship from Delfzijl, Friesland, laden with cheese and goods. He left the goods belonging to Hamburg merchants alone and sold the cheese belonging to the Spanish. He went on to seize a larger vessel and used her for further piracies, and continued to seize merchantmen from Amsterdam selecting the goods belonging to Spanish Netherlanders to sell. Thomas Armstrong, one of Roberts' men, said to have been forced into piracy after deserting HMS Swallow at Cape Three Points, West-Africa in April of 1721. When Roberts on the morning of the 10th of February 1722 was surprised by a ship making slow headway against a offshore wind, it was Armstrong who rushed to tell him he recognized his old ship and knew her well. Armstrong told the pirate chief she "sailed best upon a wind and therefore, if they designed to leave her, they should go before it", which meant that the naval vessel was at her best when going into the wind, but sluggish when her sails were filled from behind. There were too few sober pirates to fight the powerful Swallow, Roberts pondered, that is why he would let the man-of-war come deep into the bay against the wind and then, at the last moment, his Royal Fortune would sail directly past her. However, writes Defoe: "coming close to the Man of War, they received her fire, and hoisted his black flag, and returned it, shooting away from her, with all the sail he could pack; and had he took Armstrong's advice, to have gone before the wind, he had probably escaped. But keeping his tacks down, either by the wind shifting, or ill steerage, or both, he was taken a-back with his sails; and the Swallow came a second time very nigh to him". Robert's Royal Fortune was doomed and so was her crew. With Roberts' death the men surrendered. Armstrong was taken to HMS Weymouth to be executed in accordance with naval regulations. "There was nobody to press him to an acknowledgement of the crime he died for, nor of sorrowing in particular for it, which would have been exemplary." So after long hours of lamenting and bewailing his sins in general faced a noose dangling over a yard arm, secured to a capstan where some navymen waited for the order to wind up the rope. Desired the spectators to join in with him singing 2 or 3 last verses of psalm 140, which the sailors willingly did. The firing of a gun disturbed this peaceful moment and "the Deserter then was tric'd up by the Neck at the fore Yard Arm". After a successful career as a pirate off the Iberian Peninsula, Captain Gow decided to return to the Orkney Islands. He was running low on supplies, and the authorities were on his trail. Arriving in early 1725, he adopted the name Mr. Smith for himself, and renamed his vessel the George, and passed as a wealthy trader, even courting a Miss Gordon. He was eventually recognized by a merchant passing through the islands, and his true identity was revealed. According to other accounts, some of his prisoners escaped there and notified the authorities. Rather than surrender, Gow and his men successfully raided the Hall of Clestrain on February 10, 1725, but when they attempted to attack another remote mansion, they ran aground on the Calf of Eday, where they were captured.

February 5 - On this day in 1721, John Clipperton, sailing aboard his ship the 'Success', met up with George Shelvoke and forty surviving members of his crew at Coiba Island. With about 120 men between them, they joined forces. Also on this day in 1722, the HMS Swallow, commanded by Captain Chaloner Ogle, came upon the three pirate ships, the Royal Fortune, the Ranger and the Little Ranger careening at Cape Lopez. The Swallow veered away to avoid a shoal, making the pirates think that she was a fleeing merchant ship. The Ranger, commanded by James Skyrme, departed in pursuit. Once out of earshot of the other pirates, the Swallow opened her gun ports and opened fire. Ten pirates were killed and Skyrme had his leg taken off by a cannonball, but refused to leave the deck. Eventually, the Ranger was forced to strike her colors and the surviving crew were captured. Roger Ball. one of Roberts’ men in the ship Royal Fortune, upon being captured by HMS Swallow , tried to blow up the ship with Morris and Main. Being damp the keg had detonated with only enough force to smash a hole in the ship’s side through which he was thrown. Ball was picked up by the Swallow’s boat and resisted all attempts to dress his wounds, and although in terrible pain, he refused to be touched. "Why," he said, "John Morris fired a pistol into the powder, and if he had not done it, I would." Ball then became delirious during the night. He raved at the top of his voice about Roberts’ bravery and cunning. He was whipped the next morning on the forecastle for his insolences. He wrenched at the grating and was lashed more violently for his resistance. He remained through the day lay "in a private corner, with a look as sullen as winter", eating nothing, silent, brooding in the darkness. Eventually he lapsed into a coma and was gone. February 6 - On this day in 1802, Congress empowered President Jefferson to arm United States ships in order to protect themselves against Tripolitan pirates. And on this day in 1832, a U.S. ship destroyed a Sumatran village in retaliation for piracy.

February 4 - A deposition given by Henry Bolton on this day in 1700 about his interactions with William Kidd. Being required by the Right hono'ble the Commission'rs for Executing the office of High Admiral of England, Ireland etc. to informe their Lord'ps of the place of my nativity, manner of Living for some time in the West Indies, and particularly of my meeting and Transactions with Capt. Kidd, I presume to make the following Answer, being the best and fullest I can make at present having neither my Books or papers in this Kingdome. That I was born in Worcestershire about the yeare 1672 and in the year 1697 was Deputed by the Commissioners of his Maj'ties Customes for the Leeward Islands to be Collector for the Island of Antigua. That in the year 1698 following I quitted that Imployment and followed Merchandizing about the said Leeward Islands. That in February 1698/9 I sailed from Antigua in the Sloop St. Antonie, Samuel Wood Master, on a Trading Voyage amongst the Dutch and Spaniards. The Markett at Curacoa (a Dutch Island) not answering my Ends I went to Rio De la Hacha, and there sold my Cargoe, and Loaded my Sloope with Stock Fish [and] Wood on Freight for Curacoa aforesaid, which I there Landed and departed for the Island of Porto Rico with intention to Trade with the Inhabitants of that Island, having a Cargo on Board for that purpose. That in that Voyage in the Moneth of Aprill 1699 being becalmed to the N.N.E. of the Island Mona the Men belonging to the Sloop discovered a Sail E. and B.S. from Mona which the Pilote of the Sloope supposed to be a Guarda Costa, a small vessell fitted out by the Spanish Governors to clear the Coast of Foreign Traders. A few houres after Wee discovered a Cannoa, which drawing near the Sloope, Wee hailed the said Cannoa. They answered from Whitehall. Wee demanded who Commanded their Shipp. They Replyed Capt. Kidd. Then he that stired the Cannoa was desired to come on Board. After he came he told me his name was John Ware, and that he was Master of Capt. Kidd's Ship, requesting that I would goe on Board in the Cannoa to see Capt. Kidd which accordingly I did. When I came there Captain Kidd askt me to sell him my Sloope in regard his Ship was disabled and could not well proceed the voyage he intended for New Yorke, and finding me unwilling he then askt if I could not procure him a Vessell. I answered possibly I might at Curacao, upon which he desired me to use my Endeavors there to get him a Sloope, and procure him some Buyers or Chapmen for his Calicos and Muslings, And that he would consider me for my paynes. That thereupon I departed from Capt. Kidd and went for Curacao where I applyed my selfe to Mr John Stonehouse and Mr Walter Gribble (Acquaintance of Captain Kidd) who promised to send A Sloope to him. I also Endeavored to procure him some Buyers for the Muslings and Callicos. That after doing my Errand and business at Curacao I ordered the Master of the Sloope to shape his Course for the West End of Porto Rico, But the Wind proving Northerly Wee fell in with the East end of Savona and plyed to Winward for Mona in order to meet Captain Kidd, which I there did according to Appointm't and with him a Dutch Sloope, Jean Vander Bist Master, and a French Turtler, the Master's name I have forgot; Captain Kidd waited at Mona for the Curacao vessells But the Wind being about No. and from thence to NNE they could not possibly Fetch Mona, So Captain Kidd's patience being tyred gott his ship under Saile and intended to Weather point Esperdo, the Eastermost part of Hispaniola, but the Deficiencies of his Ship being so great he bore away for the West end of Savona, and there Anchored. a Day or two afterwards came into Our Company the Brigandin Mary Gold, George Lorriston Master, and the Elenora, John Duncan Master. Then Cap't Kidd weighed Anchor with the sloop Spey, John Vander Bist Master, and Brigandine Mary Gold, sailed for the River Higuey in the Island Hispaniola where Arriving he moored his ship across the River to the Stumps of Trees or Rocks on shoar. That there Capt. Kidd disposed of wine, part of his Cargoe, to severall that came on Board to him And that at the same time I sold him the Sloope St. Antonio. That Capt. Kidd tooke severall Goods out of his ship, and put them on Board the Sloope I sould him and left his owne ship in the River Higuey and desired me to doe him all the service I could in selling and disposeing of the Goods left on Board of the said ship for Account of the Owners of the Adventure Galley. That Captain Kidd told me that my Lord Bellomont and my Lord of Orford and himselfe were some of the Adventure Galleys owners and to the best of my Remembrance Sir John Somers. That Capt. Kidd shewed me a Commission under the Great Seale signed at the Topp William Rex and another Commission signed by the Lords of the Admiralty, the purport of neither of which I can remember, onely Capt. Kidd sayd his Commissions impowred him to take pirates and the subjects of the French King. That Capt. Kidd at his going to New Yorke promised to return himselfe or send some other persons in two Moneths time to bring Necessaryes for refitting his said ship the Adventure Prize and also a Condemnation for the said ship and Goods and to indempnifye all persons that should purchase any of the said Goods, alledging that the said ship was a lawfull prize being taken with a French passe which Captain Kidd shewed me, and actually in the time of War with France. That after the Departure of Capt. Kidd the Seamen shiped by him in the said ship did plunder and convert to their owne uses the best and most choicest of the goods of the said ships Cargoe, which did not come to my Knowledge till they had been near Five Weeks on board the said ship, and indeed it was out of my power to prevent them had I discovered it sooner being only myselfe and Negro Boy, And they were Eighteen in numbers. That the said Seamen belonging to the said ship as afores'd when they found I was not ignorant of their villanies openly declared they would not stay longer on board the said ship, but being terrified with the thoughts of Capt Kidds returning, they Joyned all (saving the Boatswaine) and came on the Quarter Deck and said I might remain in the ship and be damned for they would stay no longer. The Man that thus affronted me I shoved on the main Deck and ordered the rest to go on the Main Deck likewise and told them they had engaged themselves to Capt. Kidd to stay on board the ship as long as I should be there, And that I was resolved to stay till the two Months in which Capt. Kidd promised to return were expired unless some Extraordinary Accident intervened: I also charged them with stealing out of the Ships Hould severall Bales of Goods And that if they went from the Ship before Capt. Kidd's Arrivall I was oblidged as his Friend and in my owne Justification to write to all Governm'ts in those parts to have them secured; this calmed them for two or three dayes. That the said Seamen did again Joyne and draw up a Paper directed to me setting forth their Resolution of leaving the Ship and signed with their names within a Circle commonly called a Round Robin, so gott on board A Sloope and went for the Island Curacao leaving the Ship to me and three more. That after the departure of the said Seamen I stayd about a Week in the ship and would have stayed longer had not a Friend of myne sent a Sloope Express from Curacao to informe me the Spaniards of the Citty of St. Domingo were arming out a Brigandine to come and take us, which induced me to leave the said ship Adventure Prize in the said River Higuey and went to the Island Curacao in order to protest ag't the Seamen as aforesaid and to get what satisfaction the Law would allow, For at that time they had most of them three or Four hundred pounds a Man. But the said Seamen had gained their Ends so farr in the Governm't that the Governor would not admitt me to stay in Curacao tho' at the same time John Ware Master of Capt. Kidd's ship and the said seamen were there openly protected; I do not charge this on the Govern'r[13] (who is since dead) For I should be very sorry to disturbe the Ashes of so good a Gentleman as I believe he was, but on some of his Councill that did not desire I should face them. That I have not received of the produce of the Goods Capt. Kidd left upwards of three hundred and Eighty peices of Eight, all the rest is in Debts outstanding which is much less than my Charges. This is the full that presents to my Memory in Answer to their Lord'ps Demands February 4th, 1700.

you might tryhere, Mister Flynn. http://pyracy.com/index.php/forum/23-find-a-crew-or-introduce-one/

A distinguished pirate celebrating the wealth of a long and eventful career of pyracy.

February 3 - On this day in 1685, Rod Cap, one of Cowley’s men, succumbed to the great scourge of the period during the epic passage to Guam, almost 8.000 nautical miles. "We throwed overboard Rod Cap, who died with the scurvy." Also on this day in 1735, a Dutch East Indiamen called The Vligenthart (Flying Hart) was lost after striking a sand bank off the coast of Vissingen, Zeeland. Every one of the 461 sailors, soldiers and merchants aboard perished.

There's a lot of good potential up that way.

February 1 - On this day in 1662, the Dutch surrendered Formosa to Zheng Cheng-Gong (Koxinga). And on this day, John Clipperton recaptured the Prince Eugene as explained below. John Clipperton of Ireland had sailed as first officer with Dampier in 1703-‘4. He mutinied in Panama Bay with 20 other men and went off in a small prize on his own account before returning to England. Eleven years later in command of the ship Prince Eugene, and in consort with another pirate vessel, he took two Spanish vessels off Paita on the Pacific coast of South America in 1715. The loot comprised goods and money to a value of 400.000 pesos. Clipperton was captured early in 1716. Clipperton became a Commander of 36-gun privateer Success in company of Shelvocke’s Speedwell during the war between Spain and England/France/Holland in 1719 and 1720. After Shelvocke had belittled him as a tradesman and a freebooter, he more or less took over the position as a commodore of the two ships. Sailed the same route but refused to meet his consort, even when, in the Pacific, both ships were continually drawn to each other. He recaptured Prince Eugene, 1 February 1720, , the same vessel which had been taken from him on his previous cruise, and captured with her the Marquis of Villa-Rocha and the family of the Marquis on their way to Lima. Clipperton, accompanied by these prizes, steered for the Port of Velas at the Western extremity of Nicoya peninsula.. With the war over he tried to win the Manila galleon in Philippine waters and thus crossed the Pacific, missing the galleon by two months, reaching Guam in May of 1722. He there attacked a 20-gun ship in the roads but, in approaching her, ran his Success on the rocks within range of the other ship’s guns, which began to hammer her. Now Clipperton’s mind "plunged into depressive neurosis," wrote historian K. Poolman, "He drank a bottle of brandy and fell down in a drunken stupor on deck, where he lay snoring as shot from the Spaniard whistled around them." Lieutenant Davison took command and fought the ship well, until he was killed. Second lieutenant Cook then took over, and also put up a good defense. After 48 hours on the rocks the ship was got afloat again. His crew deserted and Success was condemned at Macao, China. Clipperton as jailed but released after presenting his commission from the English king. Basically this circumnavigation was no act of piracy but one of a privateer. finally he reached Europe again in a Dutch ship and died a few days afterwards. February 2 - On this day in 1653, New Amsterdam was formally incorporated as a city. And on this day in 1690, Robert Culliford stole the Blessed William and went on account.

Welcome aboard, Three Sheets!

Thank you. That's a great slice of information and excellent references. I'll be coming back to this one again and again.

It's a grand idea and I hope it gains sea legs. I know people are busy all the time, and I think if you can convince them to slow their lives down a little, you'll get some fine letters. I might join in too once my life balances out a little more. In the meantime, check out this great thread started b Brit Privateer... http://pyracy.com/index.php/topic/18598-accurate-pen-and-ink-for-period-writing/

A well researched, much needed shameless plug.

I look forward to every image and step. The build threads have a great life to them and I'm excited to see what you post here.

I imagine hemp would be too flexible and loose as a brush, but is there anything apart from manilla that would work well?

Some fine new pictures and additions to the Pub. What's the name of your crew, Mister Flynn?

Thank you. I'm way behind. December 26 - On this day in 1689, Sir Thomas Thornhill sailed from Nevis with 500 troops aboard ten vessels to subdue Saint Barthelemy by January 4, 1690. December 27 - On this day in 1670, Henry Morgan gained possession of the fortress of San Lorenzo on the Caribbean coast of Panama, killing 300 men of the garrison and leaving 23 alive. December 28 - On this day in history, 1814, the British began firing at the American lines at New Orleans, but were repulsed by an artillery crew manned by two of Jean Lafitte's former lieutenants, Renato Beluche and Dominique Youx. December 29 - On this day in history, 1720, John Clipperton and his crew took on fish, wood and water at Cocos Island, located off the shore of Costa Rica. A shack was set up on the beach there to shelter a large number of scurvy invalids among the crew. This is not pirate related, but some things should be remembered, for on this day in 1890 some 150 Lakota men, women and children were massacred by the US 7th Calvary Regiment near Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Some estimate the actual number was closer to 300.

Nice! Those make great camp brushes!

Very cool. What's your favorite project so far?

December 11 - 1695 December 11: Amity arrives in Madagascar after death of Thomas Tew. Also on this day in 1695, Bellomont, who was now governing New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, asked the "trusty and well beloved Captain Kidd" to attack Thomas Tew, John Ireland, Thomas Wake, William Maze, and all others who associated themselves with pirates, along with any enemy French ships. This request, if turned down, would have been viewed as disloyalty to the crown, the perception of which carried much social stigma, making it difficult for Kidd to have done so. The request preceded the voyage which established Kidd's reputation as a pirate, and marked his image in history and folklore. Also on this day in 1719, the first recorded display of Aurora Borealis in the Colonies.

It's most definitely for measuring. Something like a gill cup, but for ink. That's a fantastic find.