Mr. Salters adventures after death

[Dutchman]

SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2009

Pirate’s remains?

Court case could set stage for examining 250-year-old bones

By TED STRONG

Staff Writer

Local tradition has long claimed that pirates were among the early landholders along the Pamlico river and sound.

Now, a local historical researcher is looking for legal recognition he would try to leverage to show that at least one of them was a member of Blackbeard’s crew.

At a hearing Friday, historical researcher Kevin Duffus asked to be named executor for Edward Salter, a Bath man who has been dead for more than 250 years. Two of Salter’s descendants came from Missouri to back the move.

At issue is a box of bones in Raleigh. Duffus wants the remains tested to see if they are Salter’s and, if they are, reburied in accordance with Salter’s will. Duffus thinks they’re Salter’s bones, and he thinks Salter was a member of Blackbeard’s crew who escaped the noose and returned to settle in Bath.

The bones ended up in Raleigh after what was then TexasGulf asked for permission to install a bulkhead on the west bank of Bath Creek. Archeological examinations before the work was done yielded the remains. The state argued that it’s only duty is to conserve the remains permanently.

Both sides agreed that the hearing wasn’t a fight about the remains, but Duffus said he would use his position, if appointed executor, to “work with” state agencies to determine the identity of those bones.

Technically, the court has only been asked to decide if the estate of Edward Salter, the cooper, or barrel maker, who died in Bath in 1735 should be reopened. One of the key questions is if Duffus can prove the remains in Raleigh are those of the Edward Salter who died in Bath.

Duffus said the best he could determine was that Salter was the only owner of the property in that period to die while residing there. He also determined that he died before a churchyard was constructed at his church and that the remains are those of a man who did manual labor, particularly with his right arm.

Clerk of Court Martin Paramore must decide only if Salter’s estate should be reopened.

He won’t decide whether Edward Salter of Bath is the same man who joined Blackbeard’s crew near Puerto Rico, was captured by British authorities and taken to Williamsburg, Va., for trial.

“Published historical … books indicate that Edward Salter was arrested, confined in the jail in Williamsburg, was tried, convicted and sentenced to death and, according to published history, was executed in Williamsburg,” Duffus said. “However, there is absolutely no official record of that.”

An Edward Salter joined Blackbeard’s crew Salter’s ship was stopped by the pirate, according to an English affidavit from the 18th century, Duffus said. His occupation was listed as cooper.

“In 1721, just two years after the purported execution of Edward Salter, an Edward Salter, cooper, appears in the deeds of Beaufort County,” Duffus testified.

According to Duffus, Salter bought thousands of acres of land, including the land on the west bank of Bath Creek.

“His real estate transactions were rather remarkable for a man who made barrels for a living,” Duffus said.

Duffus’ attorney, Eric Groves, summed up his case: “We strongly believe, for a number of reasons, that they are (the remains of Edward Salter of Blackbeard’s crew), but he’s faced more problems in death, your honor, than … in life.”

[Edward O'Keeffe]

That is great story, any updates since it ran?

[Dutchman]

unfrotunately, yes. First of all- a clarification in the article. The family contacted Kevin around the time we were in Ocracoke on the 290th anniversary and I believe all of the descendants that are involved support this effort.

NC state representatives from the AG's office and State Archaeologists arrived at the hearing and to make a long story short, the file remains in the judges hands under advisement.

Regardless of folks views on Kevins work we have to looks at this for what it is and give him credit for bringing this to light. 290 years after the battle of Ocracoke- the possibility exists through DNA to possibly identify a known pirate and have a proper ending instead of just sitting in a warehouse collecting dust, or worse, in a lab as a science experiment.

[Fox]

But what evidence is there to connect the Edward Salter who lived in Beaufort in 1721 with the pirate, rather than say, the Edward Salter who was born in Beaufort, married Elizabeth Harvey there in 1715, and produced a son, also Edward, in November 1716?

[Dutchman]

never said he couldn't be. you've accounted for Salter from Beaufort up to 1716 and again after 1721. where was he in between? Was he the same Salter that bought Gov. Edens house? After 1725 I believe we have two completely separate entities showing up on separate tax records.

Edited May 5, 2009 by bbcddutchman

[LookingGlass]

But what evidence is there to connect the Edward Salter who lived in Beaufort in 1721 with the pirate, rather than say, the Edward Salter who was born in Beaufort, married Elizabeth Harvey there in 1715, and produced a son, also Edward, in November 1716?

I am not sure I understand your fairly authoritative statement regarding an Edward Salter born in Beaufort, marrying in 1715 and producing a son in 1716. What is the source of this information?

The colonial records of North Carolina and the deeds of Bath Town and Beaufort County (not to be confused with Beaufort Town in Carteret County) are absolutely clear--a cooper named Edward Salter purchased two half-acre lots in Bath in 1721, the first time the name Edward Salter appears in the colony other than as a member of the pirate crew arrested by Capt. Brand in Nov. 1718; the cooper named Edward Salter had a son (birthdate unknown) with his first wife (name unknown), but based on Salter's will of 1735, most likely Edward Salter II was born about 1722; the cooper Edward Salter married the widow of Col. Thomas Harvey in 1731, the union of which produced two daughters, Susannah and Hannah.

Is there written evidence that the cooper Edward Salter, who left in chains from Bath in December 1718 aboard Blackbeard's sloop Adventure commanded by Lt. Robert Maynard, is the same cooper Edward Salter who purchased two lots on King St. in 1721? No. Although nearly 200 years later in 1911, eastern NC legend attempted to associate Edward Salter's granddaughter Susanna Salter White with Blackbeard.

Is there documentary evidence or official records that the cooper and common sailor Edward Salter was executed in Williamsburg in 1719? No. The only reason why established history assumes Salter and 12 other pirates were executed is because of the list of names at the end of Johnson's chapter on Capt. Thatch/Teach, which also includes the names John Martin, James Robins, Joseph Brooks, Jr., who also appear in the deeds, depositions, wills and inventories of Beaufort County for many years after the "hangings."

Kevin Duffus

author, The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate

[Dutchman]

well now i'm all bemuddled.

King's warrant for payment of rewards to Capt. Brand and Capt. Gordon and their crews for the arrest of the survivors of Blackbeard's crew include Edward Salter, common sailor. Other names on list of survivors include John Martin and Joseph Brooks, Jr., but not James Robins. James Robins, John Martin, Joseph Brooks, Jr., and cooper Edward Salter appear in the deeds of Bath Town for years after their purported hanging. There is no official record or extant primary source which conclusively states that James Robins, John Martin, Joseph Brooks, Jr., and cooper Edward Salter were hanged. Johnson's GHP is the only source. But what of the four pirates who had to wait till the spring of 1719 for trial due to impassable roads as is evident in the governors executive journals? This takes us up to eight of thirteen that did not dance the hempen jig as reported by Johnson.

[LookingGlass]

well now i'm all bemuddled.

King's warrant for payment of rewards to Capt. Brand and Capt. Gordon and their crews for the arrest of the survivors of Blackbeard's crew include Edward Salter, common sailor. Other names on list of survivors include John Martin and Joseph Brooks, Jr., but not James Robins. James Robins, John Martin, Joseph Brooks, Jr., and cooper Edward Salter appear in the deeds of Bath Town for years after their purported hanging. There is no official record or extant primary source which conclusively states that James Robins, John Martin, Joseph Brooks, Jr., and cooper Edward Salter were hanged. Johnson's GHP is the only source. But what of the four pirates who had to wait till the spring of 1719 for trial due to impassable roads as is evident in the governors executive journals? This takes us up to eight of thirteen that did not dance the hempen jig as reported by Johnson.

Gov. Spotswood wrote to Lord Cartwright on Feb. 14, 1719, that the men captured when Blackbeard was killed had already been put on trial. Historians such as Robert Lee and his successors have confused everyone by writing that the trial did not occur until March 11. That trial was for the African crew members only--Stiles, Blake, White and Gates. At least one of the men listed by Johnson as having been executed (but who was not named on the King's warrant), James Robins, was already back in Bath before the end of January according to a deposition preserved in the Beaufort County deeds. According to my review of the logs of the Pearl and the Lyme at the British Archives, two condemned pirates were put to death at Hampton on Jan. 28. Four more pirates were transported by longboat from Williamsburg to Hampton in March. That makes 6 executed, 9 pardoned or acquitted. Of course, as you know from my book, I believe it is apparent that those who were executed were captured at Ocracoke and were not eligible for the extension to the King's pardon by virtue of having fired upon the King's sailors. Of course, established history (ie. Johnson) says that William Howard was pardoned upon the arrival of the Proclamation of the King in December but the remainder of Blackbeard's men except for Israel Hands were not. Previous explanations do not make sense.

[Dutchman]

interesting. can you share the content of the lyme and pearl logs that pertain to the trials? then in all fairness I think we should post johnsons works and lets see how they compare.

getting back to salter though- from the bostock deposition. On Dec 5, Salter was taken onboard by Black Beard from "sloop Margaret of this island" (St. Christophers). . . . That they kept him on board about eight hours did not abuse him or any of his men. except the forcing of two of his men to stay with them whose names were Edward Salter a cooper formerly Sailed with capt George Moulton.....

So the Margaret is from St. Christopers and Salter previously sailed with Capt. Moulton. Is there any way to find out if Moulton was from the island as well. It seems to me a bit odd that Salter could be both in the islands on board another ship AND in Beaufort wooing and marrying and fathering.

[LookingGlass]

interesting. can you share the content of the lyme and pearl logs that pertain to the trials? then in all fairness I think we should post johnsons works and lets see how they compare.

getting back to salter though- from the bostock deposition. On Dec 5, Salter was taken onboard by Black Beard from "sloop Margaret of this island" (St. Christophers). . . . That they kept him on board about eight hours did not abuse him or any of his men. except the forcing of two of his men to stay with them whose names were Edward Salter a cooper formerly Sailed with capt George Moulton.....

So the Margaret is from St. Christopers and Salter previously sailed with Capt. Moulton. Is there any way to find out if Moulton was from the island as well. It seems to me a bit odd that Salter could be both in the islands on board another ship AND in Beaufort wooing and marrying and fathering.

I have been unable to find a Capt. Moulton, although I have proven the presence of Salters in Charleston and Barbados during the late-17th and early-18th centuries. I have found no documentary evidence of the presence of Edward Salter in NC prior to 1718.

[Dutchman]

well, looks like were waiting on foxe then to provide the info needed to continue the search.

[Dutchman]

hey while you are here.. the deposition mentions wrecks....

"this dispondent farther says that they enquired of him where Captain Pinkethman was that he told them he heard he was at St. Thomas with a commission from the king to go on the wrecks."

what wrecks?

[LookingGlass]

hey while you are here.. the deposition mentions wrecks....

"this dispondent farther says that they enquired of him where Captain Pinkethman was that he told them he heard he was at St. Thomas with a commission from the king to go on the wrecks."

what wrecks?

The "wrecks" would be the Spanish treasure fleet wrecked along the coast of Florida south of Cape Canaveral in July 1715. It was a popular place to go beachcombing for easy money. Still is, for some.

[Dutchman]

I thought that originally, but why would anyone need permission from the king of england to go after spanish wrecks?

That would support the thoughts that crews from the northern colonies would be headed south to see what they could find. Seems to me it would be easier to liberate, liberated goods from a fellow englishman than go swimming to recover the goods.

[Fox]

The information about Edward Salter in Beaufort came from the Church of Latter Day Saints Genealogical Database. Presumably it came, as most of their information for this period does, from the relevant parish registers.

There's nothing at all to show that the Edward Salter recorded in 1715/16 was NOT the pirate as well, but so far as I can see nothing to show that he was. According to the CLDS there were at least 17 Edward Salters born in England alone at the right time to have been the pirate. Bashing Johnson for his lack of accuracy and sources is perfectly fair, but only if you can come up with something more reliable.

[LookingGlass]

The information about Edward Salter in Beaufort came from the Church of Latter Day Saints Genealogical Database. Presumably it came, as most of their information for this period does, from the relevant parish registers.

There's nothing at all to show that the Edward Salter recorded in 1715/16 was NOT the pirate as well, but so far as I can see nothing to show that he was. According to the CLDS there were at least 17 Edward Salters born in England alone at the right time to have been the pirate. Bashing Johnson for his lack of accuracy and sources is perfectly fair, but only if you can come up with something more reliable.

I can confirm with complete certainty that in regard to Edward Salter, Elizabeth Harvey and Edward Salter II, the CLDS is in error. The records of NC, including Edward Salter's will (the original I have seen and photographed), are quite clear. I don't know where the CLDS derived its information but it is incorrect. I wonder what other errors exist in the CLDS database which has mislead others on important historical matters.

Now, I fully expect someone to say that there were probably two sets of Edward Salters who married Elizabeth Harveys who had sons named Edward Salter II, just as I have had someone tell me that there two sets of James Robins, John Martins, Edward Salters and Joseph Brooks, Jrs. who appeared in Bath, NC, within months of each other before and after the execution of Blackbeard's crew.

I have to admit to being perplexed at the resistance that has been put forth, here and elsewhere, to considering, on the facts, what should be a significant discovery and revelation, i.e., the survival of pirates associated with Blackbeard previously believed to have been hanged. The accuracy of historical interpretation deserves better.

[Dutchman]

Well CLDS has me identified as my greatx6 Grandfather. Same Names, but a change in one part of spelling. Too many people contributing information leads to duplications and confusion. I would strongly suggest following up on anything that comes from them.

lets look at it this way. Does Edward Salter's birth place really make a snots difference if the right person has been identified through other documentation? I'm sure that made Kevin and Fox's hair stand up, but think about this. So there were 17 Edward salter born in England. Heck this is more than we know about most other folks from any pirate crew.- only ONE was crew for Black Beard and only ONE is in the right place (Bath, not Beaufort) and right now he is in a box in a warehouse. He needs to be back home! So what can be done to get him there?

[TheBlackFox]

right now he is in a box in a warehouse. He needs to be back home! So what can be done to get him there?

Bust him out, says I. We be needin' a crack team of pirate-SEALS to infiltrate and collect said booty. Ye boyos go rescue the box and I'll stand by here in relative safety (like Marlon Perkins in the old "Wild Kingdom" shows when he often sent "Jim" to near-death, one-on-one experiences with vicious critters).

Get back to me on that, will ya?

[Dutchman]

if it was that easy, it would have already been done and we would be toasting Mr. Salters resting place.

But Blackfox, since you are here and offering what a great contribution to the piratical society to lead the efforts to get this into publication and spread the word! Maybe we can talk Pirates and NQG into publishing something as well? So is it too late to make it into the next issue or will we need to wait till the fall to see your fine handy work with Kevin?

[Fox]

Taken out of order:

I have to admit to being perplexed at the resistance that has been put forth,

and

I can confirm with complete certainty that in regard to Edward Salter...

I can only speak personally, but the reason for my resistance (if that's what it is) is that there are too many new theories about history being produced every day for me, as an historian, to countenance them without the best possible evidence. So when you state anything with "complete certainty" I'm going to demand the best of evidence.

But please understand that this is not bloody-mindedness or an insult, quite the opposite. If I think a theory has no merit whatsoever I usually won't even bother asking.

...to considering, on the facts, what should be a significant discovery and revelation, i.e., the survival of pirates associated with Blackbeard previously believed to have been hanged. The accuracy of historical interpretation deserves better.

But with my last comment in mind, please don't confuse facts with theories.

Does Edward Salter's birth place really make a snots difference if the right person has been identified through other documentation?

It might matter for any number of reasons, yes. If it doesn't matter then why does everyone seem so keen to prove Blackbeard wasn't from Bristol all of a sudden?. It matters more so if, like now, the identification is being questioned.

He needs to be back home!

Why? Or more to the point, why should his being a pirate (or not) make his case special?

[TheBlackFox]

So is it too late to make it into the next issue or will we need to wait till the fall to see your fine handy work with Kevin?

The story of Kevin's attempts to settle this matter are in the very next issue of The Pyrates Way magazine along with the photo spread from the Ocracoke remembrance. The issue should be out by mid-June. . . . we're still a bit behind with issues due to the economy's impact on advertisers but should be caught up later in the year.

[Dutchman]

Pirate bones could be in that box, author says

State rejects request for DNA test on 18th-century remains from Bath

BY JERRY ALLEGOOD - CORRESPONDENT

Published: Fri, May. 15, 2009 02:00AM

Modified Fri, May. 15, 2009 06:06AM

WASHINGTON, N.C. -- A Raleigh author is attempting to reopen the 274-year-old estate of a Beaufort County man he thinks was once a member of Blackbeard's pirate crew -- and whose bones may be stored in a box in Raleigh.

Kevin P. Duffus, a writer and filmmaker, says he needs access to the estate of Edward Salter, a landowner and merchant who died in 1735, to help confirm that the state has Salter's remains. With the backing of some of Salter's descendants, Duffus is seeking to have DNA testing done on bones that the state Office of State Archaeology recovered from a gravesite in Bath 23 years ago.

If the bones are Salter's, not only could they be given a proper burial, Duffus says, but they could help prove that at least one of Blackbeard's pirates was not executed in Williamsburg, Va., as popular history says. Duffus contends that Salter was a barrel maker who was forced to join the pirate's crew after being hijacked aboard a ship.

But state officials opposed Duffus' petition to be named executor of Salter's estate, saying "mere speculation" about the identity of the remains does not justify reopening the estate. State officials said the state archaeologist is required by law to preserve human remains in state custody.

Last week, Martin Paramore, Beaufort County's Clerk of Court, sided with the state, dismissing Duffus' request. Paramore ruled that if the remains are those of Salter, then his next of kin have the authority over them.

Duffus says he will appeal. He says opening the estate and appointing an executor would help him and Salter's descendants press the state for the DNA testing needed to determine whether it indeed has his bones.

Brian Blount of Springfield, Mo., Salter's great-grandson times seven, and Blount's aunt, Joan Bass, testified at the hearing in support of Duffus' petition. Blount said the state had not responded to the family's efforts to identify the bones and have them properly buried.

Duffus said he and supporters want to work with the state and will establish a fund to pay for the DNA analysis, which he said would cost about $1,200.

State archaeologist Steve Claggett said the state tried to determine the identity of the remains after they were discovered at a waterfront site near Bath Creek. "There was considerable publicity at the time," Claggett said.

Claggett agrees that historical research indicates that the remains could be those of Salter, the landowner and merchant. The basic aim of DNA testing, he said, is to identify ancestors, and this would not shed any light on whether Salter was the pirate.

He said several samples of DNA would need to be tested for a proper analysis.

Claggett said the state did not have the money to do the testing on the remains, which he estimated would cost several thousand dollars.

The remains were discovered in a crypt along Bath Creek during construction of a bulkhead by a phosphate mining company. According to Duffus, Edward Salter owned the land when he died.

An anthropologist at Wake Forest University concluded that the remains belonged to a man of European heritage who had performed repetitive manual labor during his lifetime using his right arm and shoulder. Archaeologists also determined that the construction of the crypt was typical of early-18th century methods and materials.

Research by Duffus and others indicated that cooper Edward Salter first appeared in the records of Bath when he purchased two lots in the town in October 1721. Additional property deeds and records reflect Salter's success as a cooper, merchant and planter. Over the next decade he purchased more than 4,000 acres of land, including a plantation and house on the west bank of Bath Creek.

A pirates' captive

According to an official deposition held in the British Archives, a cooper named Edward Salter was forced into piracy aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge by Blackbeard on Dec. 5, 1717, near Puerto Rico. According to a warrant issued by George I, king of Great Britain, a common sailor named Edward Salter was among six men suspected of being members of Blackbeard's pirate crew and arrested in Bath in November 1718.

Traditional historical accounts have claimed that the men, along with nine wounded survivors of the fight between Lt. Robert Maynard of the British Royal Navy and Blackbeard at Ocracoke Inlet, were taken to Williamsburg for trial. Popular history has it that 13 of the 15 men, including Edward Salter, were convicted and executed.

However, there exists no official record that proves Edward Salter was executed. According to Duffus, three other names that appear in previously published historical accounts as having been hanged at Williamsburg also appear in Bath records following their reported executions: James Robins, John Martin and Joseph Brooks Jr.

Duffus described his contentions in a book published last year. He also claimed that Blackbeard was actually Edward Beard, the son of a Beaufort County landowner.

He said he and Salter's descendants hope to bury the remains.

"We don't believe he is at rest today," he said.

[Dutchman]

from the Richmond Times Dispatch, front section page 2.

MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

Published: May 17, 2009

a closer look

BATH, N.C. In a pirate-worthy broadside on conventional history, a Raleigh, N.C., author claims that Blackbeard and some of his henchmen weren't rogue Englishmen but sons of North Carolina landowners.

Most historical accounts contend that the notorious pirate known as Edward Teach or Thatch was from Bristol, England. But Kevin P. Duffus said his review of archives and genealogical research indicate that Blackbeard was probably Edward Beard, son of a landowner in Bath in Beaufort County.

"There's never going to be a smoking gun to determine who he really was," Duffus said of the pirate. "My version is a lot more plausible than what's been foisted upon us for nearly three centuries."

With the help of genealogists, Duffus has found a descendant of one of Blackbeard's known crew members, Edward Salter. Now state officials are investigating whether a skeleton kept for years in a state lab in Raleigh is that of Salter, who lived out his life near Bath.

The bones were recovered in 1986 from a crypt near the Pamlico River. If DNA tests show that the bones are Salter's, the identification would establish that at least one of Blackbeard's men had family roots in Bath.

Steve Claggett, the state archaeologist, said such a scenario could be true.

"I think there's a pretty good case for it," he said.

The state already claims the wreckage of Blackbeard's flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge. Hundreds of artifacts have been recovered since 1996 from Beaufort Inlet, where historians say the pirate ran the ship aground.

Blackbeard is largely known for his exploits late in his life, before troops from Virginia tracked him down and killed him at Ocracoke in 1718. But there is scant evidence of his early life.

Duffus' theory is that Blackbeard was the son of Capt. James Beard of the Goose Creek area near Charleston, S.C., who owned about 400 acres on the west bank of Bath Creek as early as 1707. He says Beard's son Edward, born in South Carolina in 1690, came to eastern North Carolina with his father but also was taken to Philadelphia, where he learned his sailing skills.

Duffus suggests that Edward Beard sported a black beard and used "Black" as a nickname, much like fellow pirate Black Sam Bellamy. By his account, Thatch or Teach was an alias.

Most accounts of Blackbeard's early years stem from references by Capt. Charles Johnson in "A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates [sic]," an 18th-century best-seller. "Edward Teach was a Bristol man born," he wrote.

But Duffus says there is no documentation of a Teach or Thatch in Bristol, and no one knows for sure who Johnson was or where he obtained his information.

David Moore, curator of nautical archaeology at the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort, agreed that the link to Bristol is tenuous. But he also said the link to Bath is speculative.

Another pirate researcher, Charles Ewen of East Carolina University, said it may be difficult to ever find a definitive answer. "The onus is on the naysayers," he said.

[MadMike]

Is there any period account to support the theory that Beard even used the alias Blackbeard? Also, I'd like to see any estate inventories of the Beard's, also probate records, land records, family bible, newspaper accounts, census, militia rolls, etc., etc.

There are numerous accounts of Teach other than Johnson that we know of, courtesy of the QAR Project-

http://www.qaronline.org/history/timechart.htm

Yours, Mike

[Dutchman]

the Bostock deposition names Capt Tach in the summer of 1717. Other depositions from that summer name Teache and Edwards. Blackbeard is used but I cannot lay my fingers on that quote right now, as I recall it was a deposition from later in the summer series from the islands.. I'll find it tonight.

Have you read The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate yet?