Harry Glasby, Master
There appearing several persons in Court, who had been taken by Roberts’ ship, whereof the prisoner was master, their evidence was accepted as follows.
Jo. Trahern, Commander of the King Solomon, deposed, the prisoner, indeed, to act as master of the pirate ship (while he was under restraint there) but was observed like no master, everyone obeying at discretion, of which he had taken notice, and complained to him, how hard a condition it was, to be a chief among brutes; and that he was weary of his life, and such other expressions, (now out of his memory,) as show’d in him a great disinclination to that course of living.
Jo. Wingfield, a prisoner with them at Calabar, says the same, as to the quality he acted in, but that he was civil beyond any of them, and verily believes, that when the brigantine he served on board of, as a factor for the African Company, was voted to be burnt, this man was the instrument of preventing it, expressing himself with a great deal of sorrow, for this and the like malicious rogueries of the company he was in; that to him showed, he had acted with reluctancy, as one who could not avoid what he did. He adds further, that when one Hamilton, a surgeon, was taken by them, and the articles about to be imposed on him, he opposed, and prevented it. And that Hunter, another surgeon, among them, was cleared at the prisoner’s instance and persuasion; from which last, this deponent had it assured to him, that Glasby had once been under sentence of death, on board of them, with two more, for endeavouring an escape in the West Indies, and that the other two were really shot for it.
Elizabeth Trengrove, who was taken a passenger in the African Company’s ship Onslow, strengthen’d the evidence of the last witness; for having heard a good character of this Glasby, she enquired of the quartermaster, who was then on board a-robbing, whether or no she could see him? And he told her, no; they never ventured him from the ship, for he had once endeavoured his escape, and they had ever since continued jealous of him.
Edward Crisp, Captain Trengrove, and Captain Sharp, who had all been taken in their turns, acknowledge for themselves and others, who had unluckily fallen into those pirates hands, that the good usage they had met with, was chiefly thro’ the prisoner’s means, who often interposed, for leaving sufficient stores and instruments on board the ships they had robbed, alleging, they were superfluous and unnecessary there.
James White, whose business was music, and was on the poop of the pirate ship in time of action with the Swallow, deposed, that during the engagement, and defence she made, he never saw the prisoner busied about the guns, or giving orders, either to the loading or firing of them; but that he wholly attended to the setting, or trimming, of the sails, as Roberts commanded; and that in the conclusion, he verily believed him to be the man who prevented the ship’s being blown up, by setting trusty sentinels below, and opposing himself against such hotheaded fellows as had procured lighted matches, and were going down for that purpose.
Isaac Sun, Lieutenant of the man-of-war, deposed, that when he came to take possession of the prize, in the King’s boat, he found the pirates in a very distracted and divided condition; some being for blowing up, and others (who perhaps supposed themselves least culpable) opposing it: that in this confusion he enquired for the prisoner, of whom he had before heard a good character; and thinks he rendered all the service in his power, for preventing it; in particular, he understood by all hands, that he had seized, and taken, from one James Philips, a lighted match, at the instant he was going down to the magazine, swearing, that he should send them all to H⸺l together. He had heard also, that after Roberts was killed, the prisoner ordered the colours to be struck; and had since shown, how opposite his practice and principles had been, by discovering who were the greatest rogues among them.
The prisoner, in his own defence, says, when he had the misfortune of falling into the pirates’ hands, he was chief mate of the Samuel, of London, Captain Cary; and when he had hid himself, to prevent the design of carrying him away, they found him, and beat and threw him overboard. Seven days afterwards, upon his objecting against, and refusing to sign their articles, he was cut and abus’d again: that though after this he ingratiated himself, by a more humble carriage, it was only to make life easy; the shares they had given him, having been from time to time returned again to such prisoners as fell in his way; till of late, indeed, he had made a small reservation, and had desired Captain Loan to take two or three moidores from him, to carry to his wife. He was once taken, he says, at making his escape, in the West Indies, and, with two more, sentenced to be shot for it, by a drunken jury; the latter actually suffered, and he was preserved only by one of the chief pirates taking a sudden liking to him, and bullying the others. A second time he ran away at Hispaniola, carrying a pocket compass, for conducting him through the woods; but that being a most desolate and wild part of the island he fell upon, and he ignorant how to direct his course, was obliged, after two or three days wandering, to return towards the ship again, denying with egregious
