Whereas We have received Information, That notwithstanding the great
Care that hitherto hath been taken to Prevent Piracies, divers Pirates
do continue to Infest the Seas wherein Our Subjects Trade, to the
great Damage of the Merchants, and Discouragement of Navigation;[1]
We therefore (with the Advice of Our Privy Council) have thought fit
to Issue this Our Royal Proclamation;[2] And We do hereby Promise and
Declare, That if any Person or Persons belonging to the Company or
Ships Crew of any Pirate Ship or Vessel, shall at any time, after the
Date hereof, Seize, or cause to be Seized, the Person Commanding such
Ship or Vessel, and any one or more Persons belonging to such Ship or
Vessel, together with the said Ship or Vessel, and Goods, and Deliver
them into the Custody of the Chief Magistrate of any of our Ports in
Our Kingdoms of England or Ireland; Or in America, into the Custody
of Our Governors, or Commanders in Chief of Our Islands, Colonies,
or Plantations of Barbados, the Leeward Islands, Jamaica, Bermudos,
Virginia, Maryland, New yorke or the Massachusetts Bay in New England,
or of the Commander in Chief of Our Ships of War at Newfound Land,
for the time being; Or in Africa, into the Custody of the Chief or
Chiefs of the Royal African Company at Cape Corfe Castle, on the Gold
Coast, at James Fort in the River of Gambia, or at Whiddah in the
South-part of Guinea, for the time being; And shall give Evidence
against the Persons so Seized and Secured, so as they may be Convicted
of Piracy, the Person or Persons so Seizing, or causing to be Seized,
such Pirate or Pirates, and Securing such Ship or Vessel, and Goods,
as aforesaid, shall not only have Our most Gracious Pardon for the
Piracies before that time Committed by him or them, but also, upon the
Conviction of such Pirate or Pirates, receive as a Reward for his or
their good Service, one moiety of Our Thirds of such Ship or Vessel,
and Goods, where no more than those Thirds shall be by Us claimed; But
if the whole Ship and Goods shall belong to Us, for want of a timely
and legal Demand thereof by the first Proprietor, then such Person or
Persons shall Receive, as a Reward, the Sum of Twenty five Pound for
every Hundred Pounds Value of such Ship or Vessel, and Goods; to be
paid unto them by such Chief Magistrate, Governor, Commander, or other
Persons aforesaid, in the Places where such Seizure and Conviction
shall be made; who are hereby Required to Pay the same, upon the
Parties producing a Certificate of such Seizure and Conviction made,
and Ship or Vessel, and Goods Secured, under the Hands and Seals of the
Persons, or the Major Part of them, before whom such Pirates have been
Convicted (which Persons are hereby Required to give such Certificate,
gratis, on Demand) and upon Producing of which Certificate, We do
hereby Require our Judge or Judges of Admiralty in England, or
elsewhere, and all other Persons impowered by Commission to Hear and
Determine Piracies in Europe, Africa and America, to Stay any further
Proceedings against such Person or Persons, who shall produce such
Certificate, until he or they can obtain Our most Gracious Pardon. And
We do hereby further Declare, That if any Person or Persons, belonging
to any Pirate Ship or Vessel, shall Seize and Apprehend the Commanding
Officer of any Pirate Ship or Vessel, or any of the Crew belonging to
such Ship or Vessel, and shall give Evidence against him or them, as
before Directed, so that the said Pirate or Pirates be Convicted, and
shall have a Certificate thereof, as aforesaid, though such Person or
Persons do not Take or Seize the Ship and Goods, yet such Person or
Persons shall have Our most Gracious Pardon for any Piracies before
that time by him or them Committed, and shall also have and receive,
upon the Conviction of such Commanding Officer, or any of the said
Crew of such Pirate Ship, the respective Rewards hereafter mentioned;
viz. One Hundred Pounds for the Commanding Officer of such Pirate Ship
or Vessel, and Twenty Pounds for every Inferiour Person thereunto
belonging, that shall be so Seized and Apprehended, as aforesaid;
which Sum or Sums shall be paid to him or them by the Governors or
other Persons before mentioned. And for the greater Encouragement of
those Persons belonging to any Pirate Ship or Vessel, who shall Seize
and Apprehend any Commanding Officer, or any of the Crew belonging to
such Ship or Vessel, and shall give Evidence against them, in order to
their Conviction, and cause the said Ship or Vessel, and Goods to be
Secured, as aforesaid, We do hereby Direct and Require the Commanders
of all and every Our Ships of War, That upon any Person or Persons
producing to them an Authentick Certificate of his or their having made
such Seizure, and of the Conviction of such Commander or others of the
said Ships Crew, so Seized by him or them, as aforesaid, or of his or
their having Secured the Ship or Vessel, and Goods, as aforesaid, under
the Hands and Seals of the Persons, or the Major part of them, before
whom such Conviction shall have been made (which Certificate the said
Persons are in like manner hereby Required to give, gratis, on Demand)
and Desiring to be Entertained in Our Service, to Enter them on Board
their Ships, for Victuals and Wages, and to Discharge them again when
they shall Desire it. And whereas We are inclined to Believe, That
many ignorant Persons have been drawn into this wicked Course of Life,
and that they would willingly imbrace all Opportunities of freeing
themselves therefrom provided they could be Secure of Pardon, We do
hereby Promise and Declare, That if any Person or Persons, Serving
on Board any Pirate Ship or Vessel, shall at any time, within Twelve
Months after the Date hereof, leave the same, and repair to any of Our
Chief Magistrates, Governors, Commanders, or other Persons aforesaid,
and before them make Affidavit of the Piracies Committed by the Ship
or Vessel whereto they did belong, the Person or Persons, so Leaving
such Ship, and making Affidavit, shall have Our Gracious Pardon for
the Piracies Committed by him or them before the Twenty fourth Day
of June, Seventeen hundred and one, and upon a Certificate of his or
their Surrender, and being so Intituled to this Our Gracious Pardon,
under the Hands and Seals of any of Our Chief Magistrates, Governors,
Commanders, or other Persons aforementioned (which Certificate the said
Chief Magistrates, Governors, Commanders, and other Persons are hereby
Required to give, gratis, on Demand) the Person or Persons, so leaving
such Ship, and making Affidavit, shall in like manner be Intituled
to the Advantage of being Entertained on Board any of Our Ships, for
Victuals and Wages, as aforesaid. And We do hereby further Publish and
Declare, That all such Persons who shall neglect to lay hold of these
Our Gracious Offers of Mercy, or who by Complying herewith shall be
Pardoned for the Piracies by them Committed to the time of such Pardon,
and after such Pardon relapse into the like Evil Practices, shall
immediately upon their being Seized (for which all possible Care and
Diligence shall be taken) be brought to Tryal, and be Proceeded against
with the utmost Severity of Law; We having in pursuance of a late Act
of Parliament for that purpose, sent Commissions under Our Great Seal
into the East and West Indies, for the speedy Tryal, Condemnation and
Execution of all Pirates and Robbers upon the High Seas. Provided
always, that nothing herein contained shall extend to the Pardoning
of any Person or Persons that shall go out of Europe, or that shall
Commit Piracy upon the Seas in Europe, from and after the Date of these
Presents, nor to the Pardoning of such as shall Commit Piracy in any
Place whatsoever, after notice of this Our Gracious Offer of Pardon, or
of Henry Every,[3] alias, Bridgeman.
Given at Our Court at Kensington, the Sixth Day of March, 1700/1. In
the Thirteenth Year of Our Reign.