Blackbeard by Craig Cabell & Graham Thomas

Author:Craig Cabell & Graham Thomas
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781783469147
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2013-08-26T16:00:00+00:00

An old postcard image of the Bruton Parish Church.

Chapter 11

Pardon

This Vaine had the impudence to send me word

that he designs to burn my guard ship and visit me very soon ... 159

Governor Woodes Rogers, 31 October 1718

When Woodes Rogers took up his position as Governor of New Providence (Bahamas today) he was faced with turning a lawless pirate haven into a legal, civilised colony of the British Empire. His appointment had been proposed on 21 November 1717 and the Council of Trade and Plantations approved his Commission a few months afterwards.160

Originally founded in 1629, Nassau was an English settlement161 that was destroyed by the Spanish and then rebuilt as New Providence and the capital renamed Nassau in 1695 to honour the King of England at the time – William III, of the House of Orange-Nassau. As the town became a haven for pirates, most of the activity revolved around the bustling port where merchants and locals mixed with pirates and prostitutes. It was a town filled with taverns that were frequented by cut-throats of all sorts.

New Providence was largely overgrown with woodlands and had some natural resources. The soil was fertile for farming and Rogers knew that industrial growth could take place here. First, though, he had to bring law, order and justice to the island and build fortifications strong enough to repel the Spanish. He considered the local population to be lazy but they were all he had to work with upon his arrival. Disease was rife and the place stank from rotting hides that were lying on the shore in the harbour.162

While Spain’s influence in the area was diminishing, the threat of war was still an ever-present danger. This part of the Caribbean had old extensive trade routes that were very lucrative. Gold, silver, gems, sugar and cocoa were just some of the goods that filled the holds of merchant ships plying these waters.163 New Providence was at the heart of these trade routes which had once been the exclusive domain of the Spanish but now were crowded with other European ships as well as the Spanish and, of course, pirates.

On 26 July 1718 Rogers arrived in Nassau on board the Delicia commanded by Captain Gale and accompanied by Royal Navy warships, HMS Rose and HMS Milford. Most of the pirates and inhabitants were cowed and impressed by the small powerful fleet arriving in the harbour. All except one man, who decided to create a special welcome for the new governor.

Notorious pirate Charles Vane, captain of a sloop with twenty guns, had captured a French ship a few days before and brought it into Nassau to be plundered. However, he decided to turn it into a fireship. HMS Rose entered the harbour ahead of the other ships and found this burning fireship moving steadily towards them. The crew of the Royal Navy vessel acted quickly, managing to turn their vessel about and heading back out of the harbour, thus avoiding a catastrophe by fire.

Once the danger had passed,

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.