Looking for some more info

[Johnathan Atwood]

What cheer mates,

I have been trying to dig up some information on two of the pirates who sailed alongside of Tew and Every in the Red Sea trade. Capt. Thomas Wake and Capt. William Want to be precise. These two buggers have evaded my snooping for the last several months, so all I have are names, that they were British, and that they sailed with the other above mentioned pirates and were supposed to be hunted by Capt. Kidd. If anyone has some good information and can site where the information came from I would be most grateful.

Fair winds and a following sea,

Capt. John Atwood

Rhode Island Pirate Players

www.ripirateplayers.org

[captscurvy_nc]

Try contacting David Moore at the NC Maritime museum. He's always been a great source of info for me.

[Capt_Hollingsworth]

What cheer mates,

I have been trying to dig up some information on two of the pirates who sailed alongside of Tew and Every in the Red Sea trade. Capt. Thomas Wake and Capt. William Want to be precise. These two buggers have evaded my snooping for the last several months, so all I have are names, that they were British, and that they sailed with the other above mentioned pirates and were supposed to be hunted by Capt. Kidd. If anyone has some good information and can site where the information came from I would be most grateful.

Fair winds and a following sea,

Capt. John Atwood

Rhode Island Pirate Players

www.ripirateplayers.org

Not sure I can add much to your quest, though our's intersects in some ways. My ancestor, Captain Thomas Hollingsworth (whom my impression is based upon), is to have had some sort of dealings with Wake that I'm trying to sort out (apparently he originally was meeting Wake with supplies). According to some documents provided to me by a Hollingsworth cousin:

In the Calendar of (British) State Papers, Colonial, America & West Indies, Volume containing correspondence, etc., for the years 1696 & 1697, (Huntington Library, San Marino, Calif.) : (p.259 et seq.):

"East India House #517. Secretary to the East India Company to William Popple. Forwarding certain documents respecting certain ports in America from which the ships concerned in the late piracies in the Red Sea where set forth, (signed) Ro. Blackborne (Endorsed) Dec. 18, 1696. Annexed: (517 i) T. South to the Lords Justices of Ireland. Dublin, 15 August, 1696.

"The best place to send shipping to meet the pirates is to Fernando, an island in latitude 3 or 4 degrees where they must touch to water in Feb., or March. The owners of Capt. Wake's ship live in Boston, New England, and were going in a brigantine to bring clothes and necessities to meet him at Fernando; but hearing that we were coming to Providence they followed us thither but did not arrive till after we came away. THOMAS HOLLINGSWORTH now sailed from Galway will meet Wake at Providence, where Wake will certainly be within six or eight weeks, or else not till after Christmas. HOLLINGSWORTH left money for Governor Trott. Wake had already had a pardon for piracy in King James's time... All the ships that are now out (except Tew, from New York & Want, from Carolina), are from New England. They build their ships in New England..."

(Ibid, Volume for 1700. Page 277, citation #466 xi) "Examination (dated March 25, 1700) of James Brown who sailed from Rhode Island in 1695 on the Susanna, Thomas Wake, Commander, as a privateer with a Commission from the Governor or Deputy Governor.

"The company were all upon shares. In the seas of India they met with the Phancy, Henry Every, Commanding, who plundered the Susanna. Examinant being weary of being aboard in those parts, with one Capt. Smithsend, and THOMAS HOLLINGWORTH (sic), embarked on the Phancy, which was then designed for Providence."

(NOTE: Captain Kidd is referred to in the same group of papers.)

Amongst the notes sent to me was a listing of the Red Sea pirate fleet (I'm not sure of the source, if it's part of the UK Nat'l Archives or what?):

Henry Avery (aka John Avery, Long Ben/Capt. Bridgeman) (1665-1728?). In September 1695, Avery's ship, Fancy waited outside Mocha for the pilgrim fleet to arrive. Avery was joined by several American pirates:

Captain Joseph Faro on Portsmith Adventure from Rhode Island

Captain Want on Dolphin from Philadelphia

Captain William Maze on Pearl from Rhode Island

Captain Thomas Tew on Amity from New York

Captain Wake on Susannah from Boston

What little of the rest of the documentation I have is about my ancestor Thomas Hollingsworth, and his association with Henry Every (Hollingsworth was amongst those sent to attempt to negotiate a pardon for Every with Govenor Trott, and he later captained the ship"Issac" that returned some of Every's crew to Dublin, Ireland -- Hollingsworth himself later being chased up the Dublin River by a French privateer).

(517 iii-ibid) "Narrative of Philip Middleton, of the Ship Charles Henry, to the Lords Justices of Ireland, given on 4 August, 1696 :

"... another sloop commanded by HOLLINGSWORTH was chased into Dublin by a French Privateer. She had 16 more of the crew of Charles Henry aboard."

I hope this helps in some small way. I find it interesting that according to the examination of Brown, Every looted Wake's ship, the Susannah, and Hollingsworth, Capt. Smithsend & James Brown came aboard the Fancy.

Anyhow, as mentioned earlier, I too seek any info regarding Wake, to help flesh out my own impression

Your ol' shipmate ~

Capt'n Hollingsworth

Edited July 14, 2010 by Capt_Hollingsworth

[Capt_Hollingsworth]

I have to apologize as I somehow overlooked (& failed to post) the following about Captain Want that was with the info about my ancestor:

Calendar of State Papers (CO 323 2 Nos 25, 25i-iv) in the UK National Archives.

T South to the Lords Justices of Ireland Dublin, 15 Aug 1696.

I have this morning obtained the following account:- The best place to send shipping to meet with the pirates is to Fernando, an island in latitude 3º or 4º, where they must touch to water in February or March. The owners of Captain Wake's ship live in Boston, New England, and were going in a brigantine to bring clothes and necessaries to meet him at Fernando; but hearing that we were coming to Providence they followed us thither but did not arrive till after we came away. Thomas Hollingsworth, now sailed from Galway, will meet Wake at Providence, [p.260] where Wake will certainly be within six or eight weeks, or else not till after Christmas. Hollingsworth left money with Governor Trott. Wake had already had a pardon for piracy in King James's time. Thomas Jones is concerned in Captain Want's old barque and lives in Rhode Island. Want is gone to the Persian Gulf and in all probability is either at Rhode Island or Carolina by this time. He broke up there about three years ago after a good voyage, and spent his money there and in Pennsylvania. Captain Tew had a commission from the Governor of New York to cruise against the French. He came out on pretence of loading negroes at Madagascar, but his design was always to go into the seas, having about seventy men on his sloop of sixty tons. He made a voyage three years ago in which his share was £8,000. Want was then his mate. He then went to New England and the Governor would not receive him; then to New York where Governor Fletcher protected him. Colonel Fletcher told Tew he should not come there again unless he brought a store of money, and it is said that Tew gave him £300 for his commission. He is gone to make a voyage in the Red Sea, and if he makes his voyage will be back about this time. This is the third time that Tew has gone out, breaking up the first time in New England and the second time in New York. The place that receives him is chiefly Madagascar, where they must touch both going and coming. All the ships that are now out are from New England, except Tew from New York and Want from Carolina. They build their ships in New England, but come out under the pretence of trading from island to island. The money they bring in is current there, and the people know very well where they go. One Captain Gough who keeps a mercer's shop at Boston got a good estate this way. On first coming out they generally go first to the Isle of May for salt, then to Fernando for water, then round the Cape of Good Hope to Madagascar to victual and water and so for Batsky (sic), where they wait for the traders between Surat and Mecca and Tuda, who must come out at a certain time because of the trade-wind. When they come back they have no place to go but Providence, Carolina, New York, New England and Rhode Island, where they have all along been kindly received. It is hoped that by means of this information they may be taken.

Signed T South. 1½ pp.

Edited July 14, 2010 by Capt_Hollingsworth

[RIPP Tar]

Wow what a fantastic resource, Captain Atwood and i are looking into information on a couple of the lesser talked about names like Wake Want and Mayes This is going to be a great help, Thank You

[Daniel]

Have you looked at Jameson's Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period? The deposition of John Dann refers to Captain Wake and Captain Want, as does Adam Baldridge (who calls Wake "Weak").

The isle of May is in the Cape Verdes, but where is Fernando? Is it Fernando de Noronha, off Brazil? The latitude is about right . . .

[Capt_Hollingsworth]

Have you looked at Jameson's Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period? The deposition of John Dann refers to Captain Wake and Captain Want, as does Adam Baldridge (who calls Wake "Weak").

I thank ye' kindly for sharing this link with us. I found, just above the deposition of John Dann, another section entitled Abstract, Letters from Ireland. June 16-July 7, 1696 which pertain to letters "relating to the Sloop Isaac of Providence, whereof Captain Thomas Hollandsworth[sic] Commander".

Edited July 14, 2010 by Capt_Hollingsworth

[Capt_Hollingsworth]

Have you by chance read the book Honor Among Thieves : Captain Kidd, Henry Every, and the Pirate Democracy in the Indian Ocean by Jan Rogozinski?

I just got a copy over the weekend, and though I haven't begun reading it yet (just finishing up another book), I did crack it open & searched the index. Very little in it on Wake or Want, but did find a few tid-bits you might find of interest that I'll share below:

***************************************************

Chapter 5 - Thomas Tew and the Rhode Island Quakers

pg 71

"These were the Dolphin, the Portsmith Adventure, and the Susana, all relatively small vessels to undertake a long voyage with limited opportunities to take on fresh supplies. Each of three captains was an associate of Tew. On two of the vessels, an officer (and probably several of the crewmen) had marauded on the Batchelor's Delight during its cruise in the Indian Ocean from 1688 to 1692.

William Want commanded the Dolphin, a Spanish brigantine with six cannons and sixty men outfitted near Philadelphia. A former buccaneer, Want had been on Batchelor's Delight when that warship was wrecked off the Carolina coast in 1692. Although married and settled in South Carolina, Want nevertheless joined Tew's 1693 voyage to the East as first mate on the Amity.

Thomas Wake, the captain of the Susana, also was a former buccaneer; he had taken a pardon during the brief reign of James II.

Want, (John) Banks, and Wake all received privateering commissions authorizing them to attack French shipping off the Canadian coast. The governor of Rhode Island later denied granting them commissions."

pg 74

"The Dolphin was the first to be lost. As the pirate squadron chased after the Muslim vessels, the Dolphin fell farther and farther behind. Finally burning their vessel, her crew went aboard the Fancy. The men had taken part in the battle for the Gunsway, so they received the same share as the Fancy's own crew. Captain Want and his company remained on the Fancy until it reached the Bahamas, and they then went home on other vessels."

(notes - pg 247: Captain Want made it back to South Carolina, where he held a privateer's commission in 1696;)

"Perhaps the Susana had the worst luck of the five vessels consorting with Henry Every. The ship reached Saint Mary's in December 1695, and her crew settled down to wait for the monsoon to shift to the southwest so they could return to India. In April 1696, a tropical fever suddenly struck down Captain Wake and most of the men."

***************************************************

There is also some information regarding one Captain William May (Maze /Mayes) of the Pearl.

It's late, but I'll be more than happy to post it tomorrow.

Edited July 15, 2010 by Capt_Hollingsworth

[Capt_Hollingsworth]

Of William May (Maze /Mayes) - from Honor Among Thieves :

Chapter 5 - Thomas Tew and the Rhode Island Quakers

pg 73 - 74

While they patiently waited for their prey, they were joined by yet another privateer vessel, the Pearl, commanded by William May. The Pearl also had been outfitted in Rhose Island. But it did not form part of Tew's squadron, having left North America in July 1693 before Tew had returned from his first cruise in India. Unlike the other pirates, May had managed to obtain a commission from the governor of Rhode Island rather than his deputy. This empowered May to attack French slave stations in Africa. Instead, the Pearl arrived at Saint Mary's in January 1694 and then meandered along the coast of India with little success. The Pearl put in at Mangalore, India, in October 1694....The following year, May took the Pearl to the Red Sea and joined Henry Every in stalking the pilgrim fleet.

pg 74-75

The men of the Pearl did not fare much better. Since they had joined in taking the Gunsway, they received part of the booty. But they lost their shares when they attempted to cheat the crew of the Fancy after the battle. Captain May took the Pearl to Ethiopia and then went back to India. East India Company records credit him with the plunder of several "rich Moors ships" early in 1696. After this, the Pearl disappears from the seas and probably was stranded or wrecked in the East. However, some of her men survived to join the burgeoning pirate community at Saint Mary's island. In January 1699, while the crew waited in the Red Sea for the pilgrim ships returning to India, William May was elected commander of the Charming Mary. This was the warship that had offered refuge to the men of the Amity following the death of Thomas Tew in August 1695.

(notes - pg 247: Governor of Rhode Island to Council of Trade, May 8, 1698, CSPC (Calendar of State Papers, Colonial Series, America & West Indies), 1697 - 1698, pg 205:

"William Mayes had his clearance here for Madagascar and a commission from this Government to fight the French. By the best information that we have Captain Every plundered him, and we very much suspect has destroyed him and his company, for none of them are returned and there is no news of any one of them.")

Chapter 6 - Henry Every, King of Saint Mary's

pg 85

In all, five smaller craft joined the Fancy at Perim Island. William Want commanded the Dolphin. William May was captain of the brigantine Pearl.......Thomas Wake had charge of the Susana. Joseph Farrell commanded the Portsmouth Adventure; Thomas Tew captained the sloop Amity.

pg 88

As the money was being distributed, the Pearl's crew cheated those on the Fancy in exchanging gold for silver. When they examined the gold coins, Every's men discovered that their edges had been clipped, reducing their value. They immediately repossessed the silver at gunpoint, leaving the Pearl only 2,000 pieces of eight ($225,000) to purchase provisions.