did likewise suffer death The discourse of Captaine Longcastle alias Lancaster them of his company that sufferd namely William Tauerner and Iohn Moore THis William Longcastle was directly knowne and so accused by one of the right honourable of the Counsell at the time of his tryall to be an arch-pyrate and formerly a confederate with that famous Ward although both himselfe Tauerner and the other did stifly deny to stand guilty according to their inditement or to deserue wherby to be accused for robbing the Susan of Bristoll of whome one Anthony Wye was Maister which piracy was thus committed One maister Hal a credible marchant of this honorable Cittie furnishing forth a ship of his called the Vlisses of London for the west Indies and instituting in this his venture which amounted to a thousand pound one of his men as gouernour and factor thereof she from the riuer of Thames puts out to sea where meeting with seuerall disasters both to her selfe and her men in the many alterations incident on the waters the Factor thought it fit hauing by the marchants appointment the whole order and trust to put in about Plimouth to strengthen and repaire their former mishaps when inquiring for Marriners that were best and ablest to venture themselues in so long a voyage and furnishing their wants with all that before their necessity asked he came acquainted and did take into his company aid these three by the names of Longcastle Tauerner and Moore and with these he puts on to Sea in hope of successe where anchoring to take in fresh water at Sophy in Barbary they met with yâ— Susan of Bristoll ouer whome was maister Anthony Wye of the same City betweene whome being both trauellers from one nation there was friendship congratulations enterchangeably offerd betweene these two houses and householders on the waters as formally as then they had met ashore as one day the Susan to feast the Vlisses and the next day the Susans men to come aboord of her which occasion now this Captaine Longcastle not loosing the aduantage of he practised priuately with this Tauerner and Moore for the surprisall of the Susan and to the furthering and finishing of this vniust enterprise he wrought with Maister Hals Factor to inuite the Maister Anthony Wye with as many of the others as he gotinstructions had commaund in the Susan to come to banquet and reuell aboard their Vlisses of which curtesie offerd Master Wye hauing no occasion to conceiue any suspition of any mischiefe inuented since they had formerly enterchangeably dealt in the same curtesies and espetially lying both at refuge now in Sophie road and so neere vpon the shore their desire is condiscended vnto and he with his agents in the long boate belonging to the Vlisses is brought a boord their feast is furnished their entertainement welcome and the healths goe round when these three eying their opportunity in the edge of their entring they slip away by turnes and with some other whome they had won to be linked as their consorts they priuately man out the long boat and comming neere the Susan making their pretence to bring backe their maister and the rest of their friends they presently board her clap her men vnder hold and ceeze on her goods hoyse sayles and by the helpe of this stratagem in this ship of Bristoll they are out at Sea which Maister Wye hauing notice of and iudging by their flight of the innocency of the Factor the Vlisses makes on for her West-Indian voyage the Maister Anthony Wye is left at Sophie and after as conuenience would affoord him makes his returne to England where complaining to the high Court ofadmiralty of this outrage offerd it was needfull and iust for him in his owne discharge to gâ—…ue in the names of these three as actors of this pyracy till time should giue meanes for their apprehension and answer But see how if happened there was with Captaine Longcastle in this ship of the Vlisses a Negro who not a month before he had bought to be his boy and brought to be a Christian who in the rashnesse to surprise and hast to get off he had neglected to take with him him left in the Vlisses whereby the Factor was constrained to take him along with him and at his returne deliuered him to maister Hall at London vnto whom also vrging his owne innocencie he related the mischance had happened discoâ—…sed the manner and to his maister as it is here recorded deliuered their names who for his owne discharge and the discharge both of his ship and goods he deliuered so much to the Lord high Admirall and so his factor as the season serued with the like trust is sent to sea againe in whose absence this Captaine Longcastle hauing his name infamous for a Roner noterious for a Pirate and knowne for certaine to be a confederat with Ward he belike not doubting so much of himselfe as was here manifest he puts secretly in at Causon bay neare Plimmoth and with this Tauerner and Moore thought to liue priuatly till they could fully compound with this Anthony Wye for his iniury past being certaine no other Englishman could witnes against them And this is a thing worthy note amongst these pirates they neuer see or knowe of their aduersarie but they are as perfect as himselfe for how much they must compound which may seeme strange to some since amongst theeues it is vnlikely there should be any order but all hauock and catch that catch may to be all their stake But with these sort of robbers it is not so for being once sure the burthen is their owne the Captaine cals straight for the maister or marchant and demaundes forthwith for their billes of lading whereby he knowes what belongs to the marchant and what to the mariners when the marchants venture is alwaies taken for lawfull prize but the sailors goods is most commonly restord and this bill doth the pirate Captaines most carefully keep and lay vp and as they call it for their owne discharge But to our purpose this Long castle liuing thus lurking to and fro about Cornwal the infamy of his name brought him in more suspition then any ready accusstion that was extant against him so that this report of him being carried about by rumoring tongues and buzd abroad in somany ears it was at last brought to a right worshipful Knight and a Iustice of peace who calling him before him he demaunded from him of his course of life as how and where for the last three yeares he had orderly spent his time who being able to render no confident and resoluing answer he thought it good in his discretion to commit him to prison yet pretending no further but till he could put in sufficient sureties for his good behauiour when in the meane time this prouident Gentleman sent first to the Uiceadmirall to enquire against his name and after to the high Court of admiralty if nothing were inferd
THE LIVES APPrehensions Arraignments and Executions of the 19. late Pyrates Namely Capt. Harris and their companies Iennings Longcastle Downes Haulsey As they were seuerally indited on St. Margrets Hill in Southwarke on the 22. of December last and executed the Fryday following LONDON ¶ Printed for Iohn Busby the elder he loued and reioyce in the sonne that hath sinned and laments But to my purpose hauing in so many voyages gone forth and returned so successiuely and to approue that the state of fortune is like the spokes of a wheele that is carried aswell downward as vpward that this worldly felicity ioyes and pleasure in which we so trust which we study to know labour to purchase and are so carefull to keep â—…re but like the day that is giuen vs to vse and vanisheth away euen in the growing That while we think we stand sure on the pynackles of Fortune we are on the suddaine ouerthrowne to lye grâ—…ueling in shame pleasure and sorrow being indeed twins as shall appeare by me the one no sooner hatched but the other is at hand to sâ—…plant her and therefore I may fitly compare mans happines heere to a fruitles smile the which is presently turned into sorrowe and teares â—…e a dreame the ioy whereof vanisheth euen as we wake to a painted Sepulchre faire without and putrified within or to a Syren beautifull in shew and deceitâ—…ul to intice glorious aboue to bewitch you with gasing but lâ—…oke downe to the hinder part to the botâ—…ome of that which heâ—…re we ran mad for we shal finde this tempting faire to haue the taile of a Scorpion who in the handling giues such a blow that it benummeth our bodies and the sence of vnderstanding and stingeth our soules with an irrecouâ—…rable death For while I thus wallowed in my inclination mastred by my affections and making my felicity out of others mens miseries while I thought prosperity at sea as sure in my gripe as the power to speak was free to my tonguâ—… my actions were â—…o imboldened and my heart so hardned that I held if a cowardise to dispaire to attempt and effeminacy to pitie whosoeuer did perish So that my fortunes like a byas-bowle being all this while throwne vp a hill and gayned not the top oâ—… safety whereon it might rest it must of force fall downe againe So I feareles to venture and dreadles of daunger in the straights meeting with the Turkes Gallies well appointed in a man of war my surprised prise waiting my becke making for Bâ—…stow the Turkes road vp to me I was soone haâ—…ld but my ordnance made answer and disdayning so much as to giue them friendly words in regard my desperate boldenes thought me free from their rage we enterd fight where what either was their encounter or our resistance I will be partiall to report but the end was I was taken prisoner conueid to Tunes from a Christian transformd to a slaue had my head and face shauen and in their needfull seruice as an inforced wretch could striking blowes brusing and hunger pinching I was compeld to row in their Gallies necesstiy hath no resistance and to this misery I was enforced to obey three yearâ—…s when I continued it out some of the time with winde water and bâ—…owes brusing me at the seas and the other part with Iron hunger torturde a shore In all whiâ—…h time I had occasion inough offered me to haue laid repentance at my heart to haue sorrowed for my iniquities past and to haue vowed to my conscience that if euer God were the blessed worker to redeeme me from this thraldome and captinitie without whose helpe I lay groueling desperate I would account that minut the houre of my birth and so consecrate my after life to the obeying of his will that I would conuert my violence to patience my Tyranny to temperancee all my vices to vertues and reâ—…orme my â—…ife to his blessed word when on the contrary this affliction of my body did not so chastise my minde that I imputed this correction to be laid vpon me by the hand of heauen as a iust whip for my offences past but the continuance thereof did so harden my heart so fire my spleene and inflate my spirit that I vowed my liberty gained should be to others losse my freedome prooue fatall to other mens good haps and that if euer I had againe the swindge of my wit which was to coÌ„maund must haue their wils and they haue wils may reprooue whatsoeuer I say Then since the lawe as from the fountaine of my offences hath had power to drawe my life from me and the world euen after my death may haue a strength to condemne me words vttered with teares but request of them this that since my body shall haue power to blunt the edge of affliction my fall may haue force to abate the keene sharpenesse of their rumoring tongues and if any thirsty or vnsatisfied spleen either reioycing at my fall oâ—… bemoning my ruine shall desire to see vnraueled the whole web of my life here shall he behold the peece of my trauailes wherein I desire him to wash from his memory the staines of my name here shall he read my diurnall transgressions which I request him to pardon and not to reprooue since no curre is so cruell to bite the dead here as in a mirror shall heâ—… looke into my miseries handyworke my sinne my sorrow my life my death and the building of my owne labour begunne from the time I was brought by the Sherefe of Middlesex to Newgate wrought vpon in the Marshalseyes and conclude most vntimely at Wapping For my place of birth then I must call it in Bristoll where my education was such as did credit my louing and carefull father and was obeyed by me as a dutyfull sonne I grew vp like a streight plant and was expected of the worthiest of that Citie and hoped sor of the best of my countrye to haue prooued the timber of a fruitfull trée my company to our gentry was accounted so welcome that they esteemed me for pleasure more then expenses and the contempt I held to assosiate with the base had brought my faire deâ—…aner to be beloued of the best So that my fellowship intirely desired and my condition held honest my father was proud to call me his happy sonne In which flourishing expectation in my youth soiourned in Bristoll where I so farre preuailed in the loue of our Marchants that I was soone encouraged to goe to sea the first imployment I vndertooke was more to see the state and fashions of forraine countries and to inrich my vnderstanding with experience then any greedines of gaine to strengthen riotte So that in her late memorable maiesties reigne when the diuision of league was betweene this kingdome and Spaine I went but Purser sent forth in a man of Warre of Bristoll in which charge of mine how carefull I gouerned let my owne hand neglect to record and the Marchants
iudgement not amounting to the valew of aboue twenty pound that this with some few yards of spanish cloth was all the riches he had at his first apprehention being then demaunded of whome by what meanes directly or indirectly he came by that gold cloth by him confessed to be held in his custody he answered it was most part giuen him in regard of their long acquaintance and friendship together by Captaine Tomkins and the rest from some of his company hee won at dice being then questiond if in Tomkins coÌ„pany or in any ship of his own he had neuer bene vniustly at the â—…aÌ„sacking of any Marchant at sea vnto the which he pleaded he had neuer but as he formerly confest in the Spanish Caruill and in the company of Albert Albrâ—…son which Caruill they brought into Foy and new built her there made her a crosse saile and there lay at anchor fiue weekes from whence with the said duch man going to sea againe they met with a fleet of Hollanders of twenty eight saile who took him prisoner with the whole company coÌ„uayed them to Amsterdam where after three weekes imprisonment â—…their integrity vnderstood of they were without further charge discharged by the States Unto which examination of his standing stiffely and approâ—…ing hiâ—… innocence It was then demanded of him if be had neuer heard of a scotch ship called the Royall of Lesth at the very name of which he was presently astonished for he did expect was confident that although his owne conscience bare record against him for many offences committed in that case yet hoping that the testimony of that Pyracy would not be brought in against him he doubted not but for want of euident witnesse to acquit himselfe of all the rest Yet to the demaund replying with a a faint answer he said he had neuer knowne of any such ship neither as was suggested against him had he euer bene Captaine in a man of warre at sea vpon which answere by the name of Iohn Downes of Longraue in the county of Essex marchant he was the second time endited for apyracye committed on the high seas vpon a Scottish ship of Leeth called the Royal and the lading in the same vnto which inditenient he pleaded not guilty wherevpon was called to giue euidence against him Iohn Shipman of the Citty of Bristoll Marchant and being swore to giue true and perfect testimony against the prisoner at the bar concerning the pyracy and spoile aforesaid and the maner and forme thereof the purpose and euidence was expressed as followeth The euidence that was giuen a gainst Captaine Downes THat acording to the charge of his oath himselfe and his brother Thomas Shipman being at Portugall about the end of May last was twelue months did there hyer and fraught the sayd ship the Royall of Leeth of one Iohn Matherson maister thereof to transport and bring from thence such trafficke and commodities as they had there ready to lade for Bristoll vpon which agreement made confirmed betwixt the maister them himselfe and his brother did then lade on boord the said Royall fifty tunnes of salt and aboue a hundred pound of Royalls of plate being in sixe bags of pepper one pack of Calecutes two hundreth waight of Tobacco fiue hundreth waight of cordage for the account of themseâ—…ues and their partners With which ship and goods making for Bristoll betwixt Padslow and S. Iues vpon the coast of Cornewnll on Thursday being the 28. of Aprill 1608. early in the morning they espied a sail a head who shortly came vp to them haled them and demanded of whence they their ship was who preseÌ„tly resolued them they were of Bristol and were thither bound and then on the other side questioned them accordingly of whence they were who auswered them they were of the sea and therevpon stearnely commaunded the maister to strike his top sailes who resolued them he would not wherevpon some small fight being entertaind betweene them the Royall being to weake for the man of warre both in men and munition they presently laid their vessell aboord and many of them to the number of ten entred her hold and there tooke out this Iohn Shipman his brother Thomas Shipman the scotch maister Iohn Mathewson and the whole company except two or three boyes and put them in the Cock-boat so leauing them to the mercy of the mercilesse windes waters to be driuenso ashore froÌ„ which it was 7. or 8. leagues at the least â—…d when doubtles they had all perished the Cocke being so ouerladen had it not pleased God euen when they were almost driuen out of sight of theÌ„ that Captaine Downes and his company suspecting belike as it after appeared that they in this wretchednes on the sodain dismissed had carried their mony with theÌ„ they in that opinion set saile with all the speed that might be fetched vp the coâ—…kboat againe took them into their ship first threatned them then stripped â—…hem and searched them for their money but finding none the Captaine coÌ„maunded them to be stowed in the hold there kept them in terrible feares for the space of 12. houres in which respit they tooke two of the ship boyes hung them vp and whipped them with whips stil demanding of them betwixteuery lash what mony they knew or had beard the maister or marchant had in the ship where it was lodged who poore soules willing to hold out til 〈◊〉 â—…mitie coÌ„peld the contrary for their maisters 〈◊〉 they walled them about the heads with small ropes wrinching their foreheads and temples with such cruell torture It would haue made a sauadge ryrant euen in pitty haue wept to haue heard them crye and lament so that the vtmostwhich they did know morethen euer they had heard of in hope to gaine some respit of ease they were forced to confesse Then tooke they this Iohn Shipman himself and bound him to the fore-mast and beat him with a 〈◊〉 the wretched man cryed and his brother lamâ—…ed to heare him he begd for pitty but they were flinty hearted and though that he had told them the truth of all they had they esteemed it for falshood and commaunded straight he should be hanged vp by the necke whose will like a cruell theefe was straight obeyd and poore Shipman cut downe againe ere he was a quarter dead there left either to recouer by the mercifull hand of God or there to perrish by the vniust hands of â—…leines while they not fully satisfied with what he liad confessed and they partly had found they fell to ransacking a fresh and tooke this Iohn Shipmans chest and his brothers and tooke out from his own chest fiue rugs and two suites of apparel and three rings wherein were set two fine diamonds two sutes of clothes and a paire of corrall bracelets out from his brothers together with a whole chest of apparrell some diamonds Tobacco and other things belonging to one M.