The Black Ship

by Dudley Pope

  Extradition: Article 27 of the treaty between Britain and the United States said that each country would deliver up to the other anyone who, charged with murder or forgery committed within its jurisdiction, sought asylum in the other country. This was providing there was ‘such evidence of criminality’ as would have allowed the accused man to have been charged under the laws of the country to which he had fled, just as if he had committed the crime there.

  Protections: Hermione’s muster book; Hutchinson, Press Gang.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX (pages 286 to 301)

  Trials: Captain Lydiard’s letter to Board; Naval Chronicle IV, 75; IV, 156; IV, 166; VII, 89, 91; 268–9; XVI, 243; trials of Duncan, Allen, Johnson (enclosing Phillip’s letter), Forester.

  Miscellaneous: Cathcart’s letter in Naval Miscellany I; Board to Mitchell in letters relating to courts martial; Captain Winthrop to Admiral Pasley, May 14, 1800 (for Stirke); Letter from Consul Locke and Brewster’s Protection in The Keith Papers II, 298, 400.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN (pages 302 to 305)

  Hamilton: Jackson, Adventures; Naval Chronicle, V, 5; VII, 165.

  Surprise’s operations: Parker’s Journal; James, Naval History, II, 406 for Parker’s refusal to grant extra boats; Surprise’s Master’s log; Captain Lobb to Parker, Parker’s Dispatches, and Naval Chronicle, III, 313 for Asia’s squadron’s activities; survey on former Hermione, enclosed in Parker’s Dispatches, November 10, 1799, for condition of ship, armament, etc; Surprise’s muster book; Hamilton to Parker, November 1, 1799, in Parker’s Dispatches for certain details of the attack and British and Spanish casualties.

  The main description of the attack is taken from Hamilton’s letter and James, Naval History, II, 406–11. James obviously had detailed accounts from men who took part in the action. The brief account in Fitchett, W. H.; Deeds that Won the Empire, is highly-coloured rubbish, except when he follows James. His introductory account of the mutiny is completely inaccurate.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT (pages 326 to 331)

  After the recapture: Naval Chronicle, III, 234; V, 7, 8; VII, 91, 179.

  Hamilton was made a KCB in 1816, later given a baronetcy, and died an admiral in 1851.

  Survey on the Hermione: the report of the survey, made at Port Royal on November 10, 1799, is enclosed in Parker’s Dispatches. The Admiralty’s letter to the Navy Board is dated December 17, 1800.

  The Hermione’s last days: The Naval Chronicle, VII, 91, says she arrived at Portsmouth on January 20 but the Admiralty Progress Books say February 1. For her departure date, February 6, see Progress Books, Admiralty Library. The Naval Chronicle, (VII, 179) says for the 16th that she had sailed and at first sight it appears she left that day; but in fact it was a retrospective reference.

  UNPUBLISHED MATERIAL

  FULL TITLES of Public Record Office documents:

  Parker Dispatches PRO, Adm. 1/248, In Letters, Admiral’s Dispatches, Jamaica, for the Hermione-Success period.

  PRO, Adm. 1/249, In Letters, Admiral’s Dispatches, Jamaica, for the Surprise period.

  Parker Journal PRO, Adm. 50/65, Journal of Sir Hyde Parker (for the Hermione-Success period.

  PRO, Adm. 50/33, Journal of Sir Hyde Parker (for the Surprise period).

  Hermione logs PRO, Adm. 51/1104, Captain’s log, Sept. 5, 1794–Sept. 9, 1795.

  PRO, Adm. 51/1179, Captain’s log, Sept. 10, 1795–Feb. 10, 1797.

  Note: Master’s logs for these periods are missing.

  Hermione muster books PRO, Adm. 36/12009, for 1792–4.

  PRO, Adm. 36/12010, for Nov. 1794–Feb. 1796.

  PRO, Adm. 36/12011, for Feb. 29, 1796–July 7, 1797.

  Success log PRO, Adm. 51/1102, Captain’s log, Sept. 4, 1794–Sept. 30, 1795. Captain’s and Master’s logs for the rest of the period are missing.

  Success muster books PRO, Adm. 36/13192, for 1795–6.

  PRO, Adm. 36/14745, for 1796–7.

  PRO, Adm. 36/13193. for 1797–9.

  Diligence logs PRO, Adm. 51/1215, Captain’s log, for May–Oct. 1797.

  PRO, Adm. 52/2935, Master’s log, for May–Oct. 1797.

  Surprise log PRO, Adm. 52/3469, Master’s log. The Captain’s log for the Hermione capture period is missing.

  Surprise muster books PRO, Adm. 36/14942–3 for latter part of 1799.

  Pigot-Jesup Inquiry PRO, Adm. 1/5338 (Jan. 23, 1797).

  Trial of Lt Harris PRO, Adm. 1/5339 (June 16, 1797).

  Trial of Thomas Harrington PRO, Adm. 1/5339 June 17, 1797).

  Trial of Daniel White (Thomas Leech) PRO, Adm. 1/5339 (June 17, 1797).

  Courts martial resulting from the Hermione mutiny.

  (Names in brackets indicate where those given in the charges were wrongly spelled or an accused man’s alias was used.)

  Antonio Marco (Anthony Mark), John Elliott, Joseph Montell (Mansell), Pierre d’Orlanie (Peter Delaney)—PRO, Adm. 1/5343 (March 17, 1798).

  Thomas Leech, William Mason—PRO, Adm. 1/5344 (May 1, 1798).

  John Brown, William Benives (Murray), William Herd (Mitchell), John Hill (Samuel Swaine)—PRO, Adm. 1/5344 (May 5, 1798).

  James Irwin (Irvin), John Holford Snr, John Holford Jnr—PRO, Adm. 1/5344 (May 23, 1798).

  Adam Lynham (Isaac Hontinberg), Thomas Charlton (William Thompson)—PRO, Adm. 1/5346 (Aug. 7, 1798).

  Edward Southcott, Richard Searle (Sirl), Richard Price, David O’Brien Casey, William Moncrieff—PRO, Adm. 1/5346 (Aug. 9, 1798). Note: These men were officers charged with the loss of the ship. Others who gave themselves up as prisoners of war—Steward John Jones, Sergt Plaice and Corporal Doran, for example—were not of course tried.

  John Coe—PRO, Adm. 1/5347 (Dec. 8, 1798).

  Henry Croaker, Thomas Ladson (Leedson), Peter Stewart—PRO, Adm. 1/5348 (Jan. 15, 1799).

  John Williams, John Slushing (Henison), James Perrett (Parrott), Richard Redman (John Redmond), Jacob Fulga (Folliard)—PRO, Adm. 1/5348 (March 13–15, 1799).

  John Barnett (Barton)—PRO, Adm. 1/5350 (July 23, 1799).

  Thomas Nash (Jonathan or Nathan Robbins)—PRO, Adm. 1/5350 (Aug. 17, 1799).

  James Duncan—PRO, Adm. 1/5353 (July 3, 1800).

  John Watson, James Allen—PRO, Adm. 1/5353 (July 31, 1800).

  William Johnson, Hadrian Poulson (Adiel Powebon)—PRO, Adm. 1/5357 (July 2, 1801).

  John Pearce—PRO, Adm. 1/5357 (Aug. 25, 1801).

  William Bower (Miller)—PRO, Adm. 1/5360 (Feb. 13, 1802).

  David Forester (Thomas Williams)—PRO, Adm. 1/5360 (March 30, 1802).

  James Hayes (Thomas Wood)—PRO, Adm. 1/5375 (October 6, 1806).

  Other Trials

  Colin McKelly, Abraham Mason (both of the Grampus)—PRO, Adm. 1/5342 (Oct. 20, 1797).

  Other Documents

  PRO, F.O. 5/16/296 (Jesup’s representation against Pigot, with certificates attached).

  PRO, Adm. 1/231, Captains’ letters to Admiralty, ‘P’, 1793–4, May 15, 1794, for Pigot and Canada episode.

  PRO, F.O. 5/14/90, Liston to Secretary of State (Jesup’s protest).

  PRO, Adm. 1/4170, In-letters from Secy of State, October 3, 1796 (Jesup’s protest).

  PRO, Adm. 2/939, Admiralty to Commanders-in-Chief, October 7, 1797 (Jesup protest).

  PRO, Adm. 3/118, Board Minutes, April 1797.

  PRO, Adm. 2/294, Lords’ Letters to Navy Board, December 17, 1800. (Hermione survey).

  PRO, Adm. 9254–5, Commission and Warrant Books.

  PRO, Adm. 1/727, Admirals’ Dispatches, Nore (for Nore mutiny documents).

  PRO, H.O. 42, Vol 41 (Nore mutiny documents).

  PRO, Adm. 2/1118, Board Letters relating to courts martial (August 2, 1798); 2/1120 (February 9, March 25, 1802).

  Casey’s Memorandum is in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, and is his Memorandum of Service, written on his retirement.

  Unpublished Spanish Documents

  These are all taken from the Archivo General de Marina, Madrid, and are in the collection of Don
Alvaro de Bazan. All letters between the Spanish authorities in the Caracas and Havana, and with Spain, are in the section Corso y Presas.

  Published Works

  THESE CONCERN the period and provide further material from which quotations have been made or which have been consulted.

  Bryant, Sir Arthur, The Years of Endurance, 1793–1802 (Reprint Society Edition); Brenton, Capt. E., Naval History of Great Britain, II; Burrows, Harold (Editor), Admiral George Vernon Jackson, The Perilous Adventures…ofa Naval Officer, 1801–1812 (Blackwood, 1927); Edye, John, Calculations Relating to Equipment, Displacement, etc, (London, 1832); Forester, C. S. (editor), The Adventures of John Wetherell (Michael Joseph, 1954); Fortescue, J. W. History of the British Army, II (Part II); Gatty, A and M, Recollections of the Life of the Rev. A. J. Scott, D.D., (London 1842); Gill, Professor Conrad, The Naval Mutinies of 1797 (London 1913).

  Hutchinson, J. R. The Press Gang Afloat and Ashore, (London 1913); James, William, Naval History of Great Britain, I–III, (Macmillan edition, 1902); Keith Papers, The, (Navy Records Society); McArthur, Naval and Military Courts Martial, (4th edition, London 1813); Manwaring, G. E., and Dobree, B., The Floating Republic, (Bles, 1935); Markham, Admiral John, A Naval Career during the Old War (London 1883); Marshall, John, Royal Naval Biography (London 1823); Masefield, J., Sea Life in Nelson’s Time (Methuen, 1905).

  Naval Miscellany, I, (Navy Records Society); Neale, W. J., History of the Mutiny at Spithead and the Nore, (London 1842); Norway, A. H., History of the Post Office Packet Service, 1793–1815, (London, 1895).

  Parkinson, C. Northcote, (editor), The Trade Winds (Allen and Unwin, 1948); Pasley, R. M. S., Private Sea Journals, 1778–82, (kept by Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley, Bt), (London, Dent, 1931); Phillimore, Rear-Adml A., The Life of Sir William Parker, (London, 1876); Romilly, Memoirs of Sir Samuel Romilly… with Correspondence, (3rd edition, London 1843); Spencer Papers, The, III. (Navy Records Society); Turnbull, William, The Naval Surgeon (London 1806); Young, Sir William, Bt, MP, The West India Commonplace Book (London 1807).

  INDEX

  Ships are listed alphabetically under ‘Skips’. Ranks given are those held at the time of the narrative.

  Adams, President John, 275–6, 279

  Allen, James, 155, 162–3, 181 287–90, 294

  Allen, William, 225

  Anderson, Arthur, 237

  Anderson, William, 155, 194–5, 330

  Antonio, John, 339

  Arias, Don Jose de, 308

  Astley, Sir John, 50

  Barnett, James, 153, 221–3, 270–2, 338

  Bascomb, Peter, 131, 141–3, 182, 227

  Bazan, Don Alvaro de, 344, 350–1, 355

  Bee, Federal Judge Thomas, 275–6, 279

  Bell, James, 155, 158, 161, 187–8, 198, 204, 223, 227, 270, 299, 338

  Benives, William, 225, 242–5, 256, 259–60

  Bextrum, Peter, 338

  Black, James, 338

  Blake, Capt George, RN, 285

  Blanco, Don Ramon, 254

  Blaxland, James, 338

  Bligh, Rear-Adm R. R., RN, 112–16, 118–20, 257–60, 262–4

  Bligh, Capt William, RN, 112, 192, 217, 256

  Bogle and Jopp, 290

  Bond, Phineas, 274

  Bowen, Capt James, RN, 27, 228–30, 243, 260

  Bowen, John, 68–69, 335–6

  Bower, William, 172, 182, 224, 292–4

  Boyce, Lt Charles, RN, 271

  Boys, Capt Thomas, RN, 261–2

  Brenton, Capt E. P., RN, 356

  Brewster, Benjamin, 90, 277, 282–3, 298–9

  Bridport, Adm Lord, 122

  Brigstock, William, 223

  Briggs, J. G., 240

  Brooks, Walter, 170, 339

  Brown, Adam, 175, 177, 183

  Brown, John, 153–5, 161, 177, 184, 188, 225, 242–4, 257, 267, 271

  Brown, William, 338

  Brunton, Capt N., RN, 346

  Bryant, Sir Arthur, 262, 351, 356

  Burdwood, Lt Daniel, RN, 95

  Burgoyne, Gen John, 52

  Burrows, Harold, 356

  Busey, Lt John, RN, 306

  Cadell, James, 344

  Calder, Rear-Adm Sir Robert, 44–45, 308

  Caperuchiqui, Don Andreas, 247–9, 251–2

  Carbonell, Don Pedro, gets Hermoine report, 198–202; decides future, 203–4, 207, 222; gets Parker’s protests, 217–20, 233–5; Leone problem, 236–7, 246–55; mentioned, 309

  Carlos IV, King of Spain, 189–99, 201, 204, 219, 234, 252–3, 308

  Carne, Capt Charles, RN, 213

  Carter, William, 183, 201, 206, 224

  Cathcart, Lt William, RN, 293

  Cathcart, Lord, 293

  Casey, Mid David O’Brien, RN, joins Hermione, 81–82; Ceres episode, 107–8; flogging episode, 130–8, 148–9; mutiny, 160, 163–8, 170–5, 177–81, 184–9, 192–3, 195; trial, 256; evidence, 256, 267–8; mentioned, 119–20, 151–3, 201, 205, 238, 241, 302, 344, 346

  Chapman, George Blakeney, 183, 224

  Charles, John, 68–69, 335–6

  Charlton, Thomas, 261, 304, 339

  Christian, Capt H. C., RN, 56, 346

  Christopher, Hans, 204, 339

  Clarke, William, 168, 170, 334, 339

  Clive, Robert, 50

  Coe, John, 261–2, 304

  Coffin, Comm Isaac, RN, 216

  Copinger, Lt John, RN, 94

  Cooke, Capt John, RN, 95

  Cornwallis, Charles, Marquess, 53

  Corton, Cornelius, 297–8

  Crawford, Surg John, RN, 30–31

  Crawley, Capt John, RN, 226–8, 257, 259

  Crawley, William, 159–61, 164, 172, 182, 190, 340

  Croaker, Henry, 60, 161, 194, 263–4, 304, 338

  Cronin, Lawrence, harangues mutineers, 173–5; administers oath, 188–9, 195; writes to Spaniards, 198; mentioned, 185, 196, 222, 227, 299, 330, 340

  Crowley, Timothy, 339

  Davis, John, 99

  Dawson, James, 338

  Diamond, Thomas, 224, 338

  Dobree, Bonamee, 346, 348, 356

  Dobson, Capt Man, RN, 27, 228, 257, 259, 271, 284

  Donovan, Timothy, 272

  Donelly, Capt Ross, RN, 270–1, 299

  Doran, Corp Nicholas, 205, 241, 288

  Douglas, Lt Archibald, RN, in mutiny, 160–6, 169; mentioned, 82, 85, 120, 135, 140, 152, 172, 177, 180–1, 183, 190, 192, 194, 287–8, 296

  Duckworth, Comm John, RN, 27–29

  Dugal, Thomas, 101–4

  Duncan, James, 139–40, 153, 161, 181–2, 190, 225, 265, 286–7

  Dundas, Rt Hon Henry, 37

  Edye, John, 356

  Elliott, John, 161, 167, 169–70, 180, 186, 194, 197–8, 200, 223, 227, 229–33, 242, 302, 330, 339

  Eschales y Gaztelu, Ramon de, 253, 309, 324–5

  Evans, John, 172, 223, 334

  Evans, Lawrie, 99

  Evening Mail (newspaper), 215–16

  Farrel, John, kills Pigot, 155, 157–60; kills Foreshaw, 165; in mutiny, 166–8, 171–2, 178, 183–4, 188, 198; mentioned, 204, 227, 267, 302, 330–1, 338

  Ferrier, Capt John, RN, 228

  Field, Marine Patrick, 175, 177, 183

  Finney, John, 68, 335–6

  Fitchett, W. H., 352

  Fitzgerald, Lord Robert, 286

  Fletcher, John, 140, 163–4, 334, 340

  Forbes, Lt John, RN, 31, 76, 94, 101, 103, 116–17, 119, 129, 138, 192, 243, 275, 279

  Ford, Comm John, RN, 43, 58–59, 65

  Foreshaw, Lt Henry, RN, in mutiny, 153–5; attacked, 157–8; murdered, 165; mentioned, 120, 135, 177–8, 180, 183–4, 192, 243, 266, 296, 302

  Forester, C. S., 356

  Forester, David, murders Pigot, 156–8; in mutiny, 154, 159, 162–4, 168, 175–7, 183–4, 194–6; captured, trial, 294–7; mentioned, 224–5, 240, 243, 299, 302, 330, 338

  Fortescue, J. W., 345, 356

  Foster, Patrick, 75, 158, 161, 183, 240, 340

  Francis, John,
338

  Francisco, Antonio, 198, 339

  Fulga, Jacob, 127, 264, 266–7, 269, 273

  Garcia, Tarinto (Jacinto), 339

  Gatty, A, and M., 345, 347, 356

  George III, 229, 231, 326–7

  Gill, Professor Conrad, 356

  Godoy, Manuel, Prince of Peace, 189, 202–4, 236–7, 248, 252

  Goodier, John, 102–3

  Greenfield, Edward, 297–8

  Grenville, William, Lord, 26, 285

  Griffith, James, 114, 118

  Gumaire, Mme, 23

  Gutierres, Don Jacinto, 237

  Hall, Thomas (Federal Clerk), 275, 277

  Hamilton, Capt Sir Charles, Bt, RN, 303

  Hamilton, Capt Sir Edward, RN, seeks Hermione, 304–8; plans attack, 309–13; leads boarders, 315–20; wounded, 321; attack succeeds, 322–5; mentioned, 262, 303, 326–7, 329–30

  Hamilton, Lt Robert, RN, 313, 320

  Hannah, James, 177, 183

  ‘Happy Tom’ (Marine), 175, 177, 183

  Harrington, Boatswain Thomas, 78, 110, 112–13, 118–19, 149, 257

  Harris, Lt John, RN, Ceres episode, 101–4, 108, 111–13; trial, 114–18; mentioned, 77–79, 85, 96, 112, 114, 129, 133, 147, 149, 192, 229–30, 257

  Harvey, Capt (later Rear-Adm) Henry, RN, 56, 122, 220, 238, 241–2, 288, 346

  Hayes, James, 140, 176, 190, 196, 299–301

  Herd, William, 225, 242–5, 256, 259, 338

  Hill, Mrs Catherine, 50