But what was very surprising, was, the conviction of the nine men that came aboard the sloop the same day she was taken. They were try’d at an adjournment of the Court, on the , waiting all that time, it is supposed, for evidence, to prove the piratical intention of going aboard the said sloop; for it seems there was no act of piracy committed by them, after their coming on board, as appeared by the witnesses against them, who were two Frenchmen taken by Rackam, off from the island of Hispaniola, and deposed in the following manner.
That the prisoners at the bar, viz. John Eaton, Edward Warner, Thomas Baker, Thomas Quick, John Cole, Benjamin Palmer, Walter Rouse, John Hanson, and John Howard, came aboard the pirate’s sloop at Negril Point, Rackam sending his canoe ashore for that purpose: that they brought guns and cutlashes on board with them: that when Captain Barnet chased them, some were drinking, and others walking the deck: that there was a great gun and a small arm fired by the pirate sloop, at Captain Barnet’s sloop, when he chased her; and that when Captain Barnet’s sloop fired at Rackam’s sloop, the prisoners at the bar went down under deck. That during the time Captain Barnet chased them, some of the prisoners at the bar (but which of them he could not tell) helped to row the sloop, in order to escape from Barnet: that they all seemed to be consorted together.
This was the substance of all that was evidenced against them, the prisoners answered in their defence,
That they had no witnesses: that they had bought a pettiauger in order to go a-turtling; and being at Negril Point, and just got ashore, they saw a sloop with a white pendant coming towards them, upon which they took their arms, and hid themselves in the bushes: that one of them hail’d the sloop, who answer’d, they were Englishmen, and desired them to come aboard and drink a bowl of punch; which they at first refused, but afterwards with much persuasion, they went on board, in the sloop’s canoe, and left their own pettiauger at anchor: that they had been but a short time on board, when Captain Barnet’s sloop heaved in sight: that Rackam ordered them to help to weigh the sloop’s anchor immediately, which they all refused: that Rackam used violent means to oblige them; and that when Captain Barnet came up with them, they all readily and willingly submitted.
When the prisoners were taken from the bar, and the persons present being withdrawn, the court considered the prisoner’s cases, and the majority of the commissioners being of opinion, that they were all guilty of the piracy and felony they were charged with, which was, the going over with a piratical and felonious intent to John Rackam, etc. then notorious pirates, and by them known to be so, they all received sentence of death; which everybody must allow proved somewhat unlucky to the poor fellows.
On the , John Eaton, Thomas Quick and Thomas Baker, were executed at Gallows Point, at Port Royal, and the next day John Cole, John Howard and Benjamin Palmer, were executed at Kingston; whether the other three were executed afterwards, or not, I never heard.
Two other pirates were try’d that belonged to Rackam’s crew, and being convicted, were brought up, and asked if either of them had anything to say why sentence of death should not pass upon them, in like manner as had been done to all the rest; and both of them pleaded their bellies, being quick with child, and pray’d that execution might be stay’d, whereupon the Court passed sentence, as in cases of piracy, but ordered them back, till a proper jury should be appointed to enquire into the matter.
The Life of Mary Read
Now we are to begin a history full of surprising turns and adventures; I mean, that of Mary Read and Anne Bonny, alias Bonn, which were the true names of these two pirates; the odd incidents of their rambling lives are such, that some may be tempted to think the whole story no better than a novel or romance; but since it is supported by many thousand witnesses, I mean the people of Jamaica, who were present at their trials, and heard the story of their lives, upon the first discovery of their sex; the truth of it can be no more contested, than that there were such men in the world, as Roberts and Blackbeard, who were pirates.
Ann Bonny and Mary Read convicted of piracy at a court of vice admiralty held at St. Jago de la Vega in the island of Jamaica.
Mary Read was born in England, her mother was married young, to a man who used the sea, who going a-voyage soon after their marriage, left her with child, which child proved to be a boy. As to the husband, whether he was cast away, or died in the voyage, Mary Read could not tell; but however, he never returned more; nevertheless, the mother, who was young and airy, met with an accident, which has often happened to women who are young, and do not take a great deal of care; which was, she soon proved with child again, without a husband to father it, but how, or by whom, none but herself could tell, for she carried a pretty good reputation among her neighbours. Finding her burden grow, in order to conceal her shame, she takes a formal leave of her husband’s relations, giving out, that she went to live with some friends of her own, in the country: accordingly she went away, and carried with her her young son, at this time, not a year old: soon after her departure her son died, but providence in return, was pleased to
