Another attack by Bartholomew Roberts?

[Daniel]

Yesterday, while browsing through the Old Bailey's on line records looking for information on cutlasses, I found this account from the prison ordinary's interview with Robert Hallam, who in 1731 had been sentenced to death for murdering his wife. While confessing his past sins, Hallam mentioned that long ago he had been briefly forced into a pirate crew. The pirate captain's name is not mentioned, but the name of the ship, Good Fortune, suggests that it was none other than Bartholomew Roberts.

The souce shows something of the process by which men were forced to join the crew. Apparently Roberts, if that's who it was, had some concern for his new conscripts, enough to threaten the captain with death if he didn't swear that his men had been forced against their will. The most fascinating and ambiguous part is the role of the black pirate. He is trusted with a weapon, and palys an active role in forcing the new men to join, but Roberts is also threatening him at sword's point. Is the threat against the black pirate a bit of theater for the new conscripts' benefit, or does it suggest that the black pirate himself is not a free agent?

When he served as a Sailor in Ships, both Men of War and Merchant-men, he said, that he had been over most part of America and the West-Indies; and that once serving in Capt. Hinds's Ship, they were taken by the Pirates on the Coast of America; and being all put on board the Pirate Ship, the Captain came down to them in the Hold, and exhorted them with the most urgent Reasons he could advance, to sign the Articles: They all with one Consent refused. Then the Pirate Captain said, Gentlemen, It's to no Purpose to use more Words, advance, come up to the Deck; they all came to the Quarter Deck; then the Captain called for a Quarto Bible, and laid it on a Table; then the Captain went down to the Cabbin, and brought up a drawn Sword and a cock'd Pistol; the Pistol he gave to a Black, and said to him, Whoever of these Men doth not what I command him, shoot him thro' the Head, which if you don't do, I'll stab you dead thro' the Body; and in Confirmation he added a Volley of monstrous hellish Oaths; then they open'd the Bible, and four Men were order'd to lay on each of them his Right Hand, upon a Corner of the Book, and to Swear by God and the Holy Evangelists, That he would discover no Secrets pertaining to the Ship, the Good Fortune, and that he would to the utmost of his Power, do every Thing contributing to the good thereof, and faithfully lay open, in order to prevent all Plots and Conspiracies against the said Ship or Crew.

This was the Substance of the Oath, and thirteen Men, which was the whole Ships Crew swore it, four at a Time, while the Captain stood, holding the naked Cutlash pointed to the Black's Breast; and the Black holding the Cock'd Pistol directed towards the Men, and saving, Swear, Swear Lads, Sign, Sign, Brave Boys, else he swore, I'll obey Orders. Then the Pirate Captain said, I will not force the Captain into the Service, but I'll let you go free Sir; but he added another Chain of dreadfull Oaths, If you don't advertise all these thirteen Men, as forc'd into our Service, and that they sign'd the Articles against their Will, at the first Port or Island you come to; if ever I meet with you again, I'll cut you into small Collops.

They sent some of their Men on board the Ship they had taken, but the new Adventures they kept on board the Good Fortune. Hallam staid only eleven Days with them, for he, with one of his Ship-mates, pretending to go for something in a Boat, with Difficulty made their Escape, and went to Martinico, where the French took them up, and would have hang'd them for Pirates, had not their late Captain by Providence been there, who declar'd upon Oath, That they were two of his Men, who were all compell'd into the Pirates Service: Upon which they were both set at Liberty.

He told also, that he had been taken three other Times by the Pirates, but had always the good Fortune to escape from them.

[MadMike]

Thomas Anstis sailed in a ship called "Good Fortune"...

[Tartan Jack]

Anstis was one of Roberts' top underlings, along with William Moody. They left and went off together w/ part of RObert's crew on 2 vessels. Moody's was the Rising Sun and Anstis took a former Roberts flagship after Roberts "upgraded" to one he named "Royal Fortune."

As there isn't a date listed to see if it was before or after Anstis and Roberts parted ways, the ID of which can't be known.

[Daniel]

It is true, the Good Fortune that took Hallam could also be Anstis's vessel, and without knowing the date, it's impossible to be sure. I thought Roberts more likely just because Roberts took more ships than Anstis, and Roberts is specifically known to have had large numbers of black pirates aboard. But still, it's ultimately speculation.