Articles of Signing

[Black Deacon]

Usually before one took passage as crew of a Pirate ship (voluntarily that is) ya had to sign the "Articles". Does anyone have or know of a link to some of these?

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

That would be the Articles of Agreement and they were often signed by forced crew. It was extremely difficult for forced pirates to prove that they were serving a ship against their will. John Fillmore, grandfather of US President Millard Fillmore was forced into piracy, managed to prove his innocence after their capture and wrote an account of his experience.

Here are the articles of pirates Bartholomew Roberts and John Phillips:

Captain Bartholomew Roberts

I

Every man has a vote in affairs of moment; has equal title to the fresh provisions, or strong liquors, at any time seized, and use of them at pleasure, unless a scarcity make it necessary, for the good of all, to vote a retrenchment.

II

Every man to be called fairly in turn, by list, on board of prizes, because, they were on these occasions allowed a shift of clothes: But if they defrauded the company to the value of a dollar, in plate, jewels, or money, marooning was their punishment.

III

No person to game at cards or dice, for money.

IV

The lights and candles to be put out at eight o'clock at night. If any of the crew, after that hour, still remained inclined for drinking, they were to do it on the open deck

V

To keep their piece, pistols, and cutlass clean, and fit for service

VI

No boy or woman to be allowed amongst them. If any man were found seducing any of the latter sex, and carried her to sea, disguised, he was to suffer death.

VII

To desert the ship, or their quarters in battle, was punished with death, or marooning.

VIII

No striking one another on board, but every man's quarrels to be ended on shore, at sword and pistol.

IX

No man to talk of breaking up their way of living, till each had shared a 1000! If in order to this, any man should lose a limb, or become a cripple in their service, he was to have 800 dollars, out of the public stock, and for lesser hurts, proportionably.

X

The captain and quarter-master to receive two shares of a prize; the master, boatswain, and gunner, one share and a half, and other officers, one and a quarter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Captain John Phillips

I

Every man shall obey civil command; the captain shall have one full share and a half in all prizes; the master, carpenter, boatswain and gunner shall have one share and a quarter.

II

If any Man shall offer to run away, or keep any secret from the company, he shall be marroon'd with one bottle of powder, one bottle of water, one small arm, and shot.

III

If any man shall steal any thing in the company, or game, to the value of a piece of eight, he shall be marroon'd or shot.

IV

If at any time we should meet another marrooner (that is, Pyrate,) that man shall sign his articles without the consent of our company, shall suffer such punishment as the captain and company shall think fit.

V

That man that shall strike another while these articles are in force, shall receive Moses's Law (that is 40 Stripes lacking one) on the bare back.

VI

That man that shall snap his arms, or smoke tobacco in the hold, without a cap to his pipe, or carry a candle lighted without a lantern, shall suffer the same punishment as in the former article.

VII

That man that shall not keep his arms clean, fit for an engagement, or neglect his business, shall be cut off from his share, and suffer such other punishment as the captain and the company shall think fit.

VIII

If any man shall lose a joint in time of an engagement, shall have 400 Pieces of eight; if a limb, 800.

IX

If at any time you meet with a prudent woman, that man that offers to meddle with her, without her consent, shall suffer present death.

[Black Deacon]

Thanks my dear. Always a pleasure.

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

Ye' be most welcome lad!!

[Coastie04]

Picture of Kidd's articles (yes, I realize that some don't consider him a pirate, but privateers are close enough). I actually managed to use this on the cover of a report last year!

Coastie04

[Black Deacon]

Thanks Coastie. but that's his "Letter of Marque" which allowed him the right to Privatier. His Articles of Agreement were as follows:

1. Incentive Bonus: “The man who shall first see a Saile. If she be a Prize shall receive one hundred pieces of eight.”

2. Workman’s Compensation: “That if any man shall lose an Eye, Legg or Arme or the use thereof . . . shall receive . . . six hundred pieces of eight, or six able Slaves.”

3. Discipline: “That whosoever shall disobey Command shall lose his share or receive such Corporall punishment as the Cap.t and Major part of the Company shall deem fit.” (Captain Kidd could not punish his men without the consent of the majority.)

“That man is proved a Coward in time of Engagem.t shall lose his share.”

“That man that shall be drunk in time of Engagement before the prisoners then taken be secured, shall lose his share.” (A drunken post-victory celebration was obviously expected.)

“That man that shall breed a Mutiny Riot on Board the ship or Prize taken shall lose his shares and receive such Corporall punishment as the Capt. and major part of the Comany shall deem fitt.” (Again, Kidd rules by permission.)

“That if any man shall defraude the Capt. or Company of any Treasure, as Money, Goods, Ware, Merchandizes or any other thing whatsoever to the value of one piece of eight . . . shall lose his Share and be put on shore upon the first inhabitted Island or other place that the said ship shall touch at.”

4. Sharing: “That what money or Treasure shall be taken by the said ship and Company shall be put on board of the Man of War and there be shared immediately, and all Wares and Merchandizes when legally condemned to be legally divided amongst the ships Company according to Articles” (Kidd reserved 40 shares for himself and the owners, with the rest to go to the crew.)

These rules were signed by those that crewed with him.

[El Pirata]

Here's a copy of what Bart Roberts wrote in his book on Morgan's attack on Panama:

Agreements must be signed, regulations laid down, penalties and punishments announced. Tersely Morgan snapped out what he had to say, interspersing his remarks with sporadic bursts of profane eloquence to raise his listeners’ enthusiasm for the task ahead. At every pause in his harangue the assembled mob bellowed its enthusiastic approval.

First he enumerated the payments for injuries sustained in action. If a man lost a hand or foot he should receive six hundred pieces-of-eight or six slaves, the choice to be his. Both legs entitled him to fifteen hundred pieces-of-eight or fifteen slaves; both hands were eighteen hundred. One eye was worth two hundred pieces-of-eight; both eyes two thousand.

Agreement with these conditions was a hoarse yell of such volume that it rocked the jungle blackness and sent night birds scurrying from their nests overhead.

Then the contract: no man was to take or keep anything for himself; all booty to be held in a common fund and divided after the affair was ended. Recompense for an injury was to be paid first, and then rewards for various stipulated services and feats of bravery. After these deductions the captain should one-hundredth of the remaining booty, the rest being partitioned equally among the men. The crowd roared its contentment with the terms.

With narrow shifting eyes glinting like red coals in the firelight, each captain signed the articles for the men under him, and the die was cast. As soon as the morning sun should bow its fiery disc out of the Atlantic, the fleet would spread its armored wings and soar away on its odyssey of ruin and destruction. It was to be a devious and winding trail with gutted towns, wrecked homes, broken bodies and untold human suffering strewn thickly in its wake; a cruel, bloody trail which was to culminate at last in the smoking ruins of Spain’s proudest new world possession.. the City of Panama.

[Coastie04]

My bad, I knew that...That's what happens after a long weekend of a toga party and celebrating two friends' 21st birthdays, I guess. Yes, it was his Letter of Marque. Cool looking nonetheless, but no articles. As for articles, didn't this pub produce some fine articles a while back? I can't be sure if it was this site or another nautical one I'm a member of. It's hard to tell anything right now, as I was recently on a reception for the Indian Naval training ship. She's about a 170' barque, sister ship to the Lord Nelson. Nice boat, great crew, and outstanding hors d'oeuvre. Plus beer and wine. Unfortunately, they didn't have any crew articles to bring in as an example, but they're naval folk anyway.

Coastie04

[Black Deacon]

My bad, I knew that...That's what happens after a long weekend of a toga party and celebrating two friends' 21st birthdays, I guess. Yes, it was his Letter of Marque. Cool looking nonetheless, but no articles. As for articles, didn't this pub produce some fine articles a while back? I can't be sure if it was this site or another nautical one I'm a member of. It's hard to tell anything right now, as I was recently on a reception for the Indian Naval training ship. She's about a 170' barque, sister ship to the Lord Nelson. Nice boat, great crew, and outstanding hors d'oeuvre. Plus beer and wine. Unfortunately, they didn't have any crew articles to bring in as an example, but they're naval folk anyway.

Coastie04

No need to appologize. WE've all been there.