WILLIAM FLY, WHO WAS HANGED IN CHAINS ON NIX’S MATE
The piratical career of this fellow was very short, a fortunate thing
for shipping along the New England coast, as he was a bloody-minded
man who would undoubtedly have become a scourge had he been able to
increase his ship’s company and secure a vessel better suited to his
purposes. The “Remarkable Relation of a Cockatrice crush’d in the Egg”
is the characterization made by the Rev. Cotton Mather in his narrative
of Fly’s career published in Boston soon after the execution of the
pirates.
Fly was born in England and went to sea early. He was of obscure
parentage and of limited education and until he led the mutiny and
capture of the Bristol snow, in May, 1726, he had served only as a
foremast-man or petty officer.
In the spring of 1726 he was at Jamaica, in the West Indies, when a
snow owned by Bristol merchants and commanded by Capt. John Green, came
to anchor in the harbor. The snow “Elizabeth” was bound for the coast
of Guinea on a slaving voyage and being short of hands, Fly was shipped
as boatswain. The captain of a slaving ship must be a man of strong
character, a rough and ready type, and Captain Green soon incurred, in
some way, the enmity of Fly who began plotting with several of the men
whom he found ripe for any kind of villainy. They resolved before long
to seize the snow, murder the captain and mate and turn pirates.
On May 27, 1726, Fly had the early morning watch. At one o’clock,
accompanied by the other mutineers, he went to the helmsman, Morice
Cundon, and told him with many curses that if he spoke a word or
stirred from his post they would blow his brains out. Fly then rolled
up his shirt sleeves and cutlass in hand went into the captain’s cabin
accompanied by Alexander Mitchell. Captain Green awoke instantly and
asked what was the matter. Mitchell replied that they had no time to
answer impertinent questions; that he was to go on deck at once and if
he refused they would be at the trouble of scraping the cabin to clean
up his blood, for Captain Fly had been chosen commander and they would
have no other captain on board nor waste provisions to feed useless
men. Captain Green said he would make no resistance and proposed that
they should put him ashore somewhere meanwhile keeping him in irons.
[Illustration:
The
TRYALS
OF
Sixteen Persons for PIRACY, _&c._
_Four of which were found Guilty_,
And the rest Acquitted.
At a Special Court of Admiralty for the Tryal of
Pirates, Held at _Boston_ within the Province
of the _Massachusetts-Bay_ in _New-England_,
on Monday the Fourth Day of _July_, Anno Dom.
1726. Pursuant to His Majesty’s Commission,
Founded on an Act of Parliament, made in the
Eleventh and Twelfth Years of the Reign of
King WILLIAM the Third, Intitled; _An Act for
the more Effectual Suppression of Piracy_.
And made Perpetual by an Act of the Sixth of
King GEORGE.
[Illustration]
_BOSTON_: Printed for and Sold by _Joseph
Edwards_, at the Corner Shop on the North
side of the Town-House, 1726.
]
“Ay, God damn ye,” said Fly, “to live and hang us, if we are ever
taken. No! no! Walk up and be damn’d, that bite won’t take. It has
hanged many an honest fellow already.”
Without more words they pulled the captain out of bed, hauled him into
the steerage and drove him up on deck, Fly cutting him several times
with his cutlass. Once there, one of them asked the unfortunate man if
he would rather take a leap like a brave fellow or be tossed overboard
like a sneaking rascal. In despair, the captain said to Fly,--“For the
Lord’s sake, don’t throw me overboard, boatswain; for if you do, you
throw me into Hell immediately.”
“Damn you!” answered Fly. “Since he’s so devilish godly, we’ll give him
time to say his prayers and I’ll be parson. Say after me, _Lord, have
mercy on my soul_, short prayers are best, and then over with him, my
lads.”
When the men seized him, the captain clutched at the mainsheet and one
of them, Thomas Winthrop, picked up a cooper’s broadax and chopped off
the poor master’s hand at the wrist and then overboard he went and soon
disappeared from sight.
While this was going on, Winthrop, Samuel Cole and Henry Hill had
pounced on the mate, Thomas Jenkins, and dragged him on deck telling
him he was “of the Captain’s Mess, and they should e’en drink together;
it was a pity to part good Company.” As the mate struggled to escape,
one of them snatched up the broadax with which Winthrop had lopped off
the captain’s hand, and aimed a blow at the mate’s head which landed
instead on his shoulder and then he was thrown overboard just before
the main shrouds. As he fell he cried out to the ship’s doctor, “For
the Lord’s sake, fling me a rope.” But Fly soon put the doctor in irons
and also confined the gunner and the carpenter who declined to fall in
with the others.
Captain Fly was now saluted and escorted to the great cabin with some
ceremony, where a bowl of punch was made. While it was brewing, Morice
Cundon, the helmsman, was called down and one John Fitzherbert set
in his place. A seaman named Thomas Streator was also brought into
the cabin and Fly told the two men that they were rascals and richly
deserved to be sent after the captain and the mate, but the company was
willing to show them mercy and not put them to death in cold blood; but
for the security of the ship’s company they would be placed in irons.
The snow was then renamed the “Fame’s Revenge.” She was well stored
with powder, rum and provisions but was a slow sailer.
While the company was still debating what course should be taken word
was brought down that a ship was near them and the council broke up. As
it grew lighter she was recognized as the “Pompey,” which had come out
from England in company with Captain Green and had sailed from Jamaica
at the same time. The “Pompey” stood in near the snow and hailed,
asking for Captain Green’s health. Fly answered “He is very well. At
your service!” Not having hands enough Fly decided not to attack the
ship so the company returned to the cabin and the bowl of punch and
soon voted to make for the North Carolina coast.
On June 3d, off Cape Hatteras, they came upon a sloop lying at anchor
inside the bar. She was the “John and Hannah,” John Fulker, master,
bound for Boston in New England. When the snow stood in for the harbor
of Carolina, Captain Fulker thought she might be in need of a pilot
and so took his boat and accompanied by Samuel Walker, the mate, a
young lad, and two passengers,--Capt. William Atkinson, late master
of the brigantine “Boneta,” and Richard Ruth, rowed out to the snow
intending to bring her in. When on board they were told the snow was
from Jamaica. Fly received them very civilly and invited them down to
the cabin where a bowl of punch was ordered. When it was brought in
Fly told his guests “that he was no Man to mince Matters: that he and
his Comrades were Gentlemen of Fortune, and should make bold to try if
Captain Fulker’s Sloop was a better sailer than the Snow; if she was,
she would prove much fitter for their Business, and they must have her.”
The snow came to anchor about a league from the sloop and Fly ordered
Captain Fulker with six men to bring her alongside the snow. The wind
was in the wrong quarter, however, and after several attempts they
gave it up for the time and brought Captain Fulker back to the snow
where Fly received him in a violent passion, cursing and damning him
for not bringing off the sloop. Fulker said it was impossible. “Damn
ye,” replied Fly, “you lie like a Dog, but damn my Blood, your Hide
shall pay for your Roguery, and if I can’t bring her off I’ll burn her
where she lies.” He then ordered Captain Fulker “to the Geers.” He was
at once stripped and given an unmerciful beating. The boat’s crew were
then sent back again to bring off the sloop and after a time got her as
far as the bar where she bilged and sank.
With Captain Fulker, Captain Atkinson and the rest on board, the
“Fame’s Revenge” set sail on June 5th and the next day sighted the ship
“John and Betty,” Capt. John Gale, bound from Barbadoes for Virginia.
Fly gave chase and finding that the ship could outsail him he hoisted
“a Jack at the Main topmast Head, in token of Distress.” Captain Gale
was suspicious and ignoring the signal kept his course with Fly still
in chase. The pursuit was kept up all night and early in the morning,
the wind having slackened, Fly came within gunshot and hoisting a black
flag, fired several times until Captain Gale struck his colors. Fly
manned his long boat, which carried a pateraro in the bow, and went on
board well armed with pistols and cutlasses and having made the master
and crew prisoners sent them on board the snow. Fly lay by for two days
and finding little on board of value to him, save some sail cloth and
small arms, he permitted the ship to go after forcing six of the crew.
In her went Captain Fulker, Mr. Ruth and Captain Green’s surgeon, who
had steadfastly refused to serve the pirate company. Captain Atkinson,
however, was forced to remain with Fly as he understood navigation and
also was familiar with the New England coast. When Captain Atkinson
asked to be allowed his liberty, Captain Fly replied as follows:--
“Look ye, Captain Atkinson, it is not that we care a T----d for
your Company, G----d d----n ye, G----d d----n my Soul, not a
T----d, by G----d, and that’s fair; but G----d d----n ye, and
G----d’s B----d and W----ds, if you don’t act like an honest
Man, G----d d----n ye, and offer to play us any Rogue’s Tricks,
by G----d, and G----d sink me, but I’ll blow your Brains out;
G----d d----n me if I don’t. Now, Captain Atkinson, you may
do as you please, you may be a Son of a Whore, and pilot us
wrong, which, G----d d----n ye, would be a rascally Trick, by
God, because you would betray Men who trust in you; but, by the
eternal J----s, you shan’t live to see us hang’d. I don’t love
many Words, G----d d----n ye, if you have a Mind to be well
used you shall, G----d’s B----d; but if you will be a Villain
and betray your trust, may G----d strike me dead, and may I
drink a Bowl of Brimstone and Fire with the D----l, if I don’t
send you head-long to H----ll, G----d d----n me; and so there
needs no more Arguments, by G----d, for I’ve told you my Mind,
and here’s all the Ship’s Crew for Witnesses, that if I do blow
your Brains out, you may blame no Body but your self, G----d
d----n ye.”[167]
Fly forbade Captain Atkinson to have any conversation with other forced
men lest he should hatch a conspiracy and to prevent any communication
between them at night a hammock was given him in the cabin.
Off Delaware Bay they met the sloop “Rachel,” Samuel Harris, commander,
bound for Pennsylvania from New York. She had about fifty Scotch-Irish
passengers aboard. When Fly hoisted his black ensign and ordered her to
strike she did so at once. The sloop was ransacked and held for a day
and then permitted to go. One of her crew, a lusty fellow named James
Benbrook, was forced.
Fly now ordered Captain Atkinson to bear away for Martha’s Vineyard
proposing to water there and then sail for the Guinea coast; but
Atkinson, instead of steering for the Vineyard, purposely carried them
past and out into the Bay. When Fly discovered this he told Captain
Atkinson that “he was a rascally Son of an envenom’d Bitch, and damn
his Blood it was a Piece of Cruelty to let such a son of a Whore live,
who design’d the Death of so many honest Fellows.”
Atkinson replied that he never pretended to know the coast and it
was very hard that he should die for being thought an abler man than
he really was. “G----d d----n you,” said Fly, “you are an obstinate
Villain,” and he was about to draw a pistol to shoot Atkinson when
Mitchell interposed and saved his life.
On June 23d they met a fishing schooner lying to on Brown’s bank. She
was the “James,” of Marblehead, George Girdler, master, and as Fly
came up he fired a gun and hoisted his black ensign. When the master
came aboard, Fly told him that he proposed taking his vessel unless
he found a better sailer. About noon, as they lay near each other,
several other schooners came in sight and Fly ordered six of his
pirates and a prisoner named George Tasker, to man the prize schooner
and go in pursuit. This was a very hazardous thing to do for it left
him on board the “Fame’s Revenge” with only three of his pirate crew,
one of whom, Samuel Cole, was in irons on suspicion of mutiny. Against
this small number of armed men were Captain Atkinson, Captain Fulker’s
mate, a couple of his boys, Captain Green’s gunner and carpenter, five
of Captain Gale’s men, James Benbrooke, and three fishermen belonging
to the Marblehead schooner. Atkinson already had secretly had some
conversation with Samuel Walker and Thomas Streaton and Walker had
spoken to Benbrook. This seemed to be the opportunity that they had
waited for. By good fortune, just at this time, several other vessels
appeared in sight and Atkinson, by telling Fly what he saw from the
bows, drew him forward from his loaded guns and cutlass which he had
kept beside him on the quarter-deck. At first Fly was loath to leave
the quarter-deck and told Atkinson that he could see but one sail, but
Atkinson insisted that he could see two others and told Fly that he
would soon have a fleet of prizes. “If you were but here, Sir, with
your glass, ahead, you would easily see them all,” said Atkinson. Fly
in his intense interest forgot his earlier caution and came off the
quarter-deck where his arms lay and went ahead to spy the sails that
Atkinson claimed to have seen. He sat on the windlass and with his
prospective glass tried to locate the mythical vessels. Benbrook and
Walker now came forward and directed the captain to look a point or
two at one side and while so engaged, Atkinson, a spare and slender
man, slipped aft towards the guns and as Walker and Benbrook seized
Fly he quickly pointed a gun at him and told him that “he was a dead
man if he didn’t immediately submit.” Benbrook already had broken
Fly’s sword. About this time Greenville, one of the pirates, heard the
struggle and put his head above to see what was the matter. Atkinson
at once struck him over the head with his gun and with the help of the
carpenter the other man was soon in irons. Meanwhile the rest of the
forced men stood by as in a trance but soon came to and with a will
aided in securing the prisoners.
[Illustration:
_It is a fearful thing to fall into the
Hands if the Living GOD._
A
_SERMON_
Preached to some miserable
_PIRATES_
July 10. 1726.
On the _Lord’s Day_, before their
Execution.
By _Benjamin Colman_,
Pastor of a Church in _Boston_.
To which is added some Account of said Pirates.
Deut. XVII. 13. _And all the People shall
hear and fear, and do no more so
presumptuously._
_BOSTON, N. E._ Printed for _John Phillips_ and
_Thomas Hancock_, and Sold at their Shops.
1726.
]
Fly, when he found himself in irons, began to blaspheme, cursing all
rovers who should ever give quarter to an Englishman. This was the
brave-spirited fellow who would say when it had thundered, “They are
playing bowls in the air”; and when it lightned, he would say, “Who
fires now? Stand by,” etc. Four days later Captain Atkinson had brought
the snow and the pirates to anchor in Boston harbor and on July 4,
1726 they came to a speedy trial before the Honorable William Dummer,
Lieutenant-Governor, and the judges of the Admiralty Court, among whom
was Samuel Sewall.
The court was held in the old Court House that formerly stood at the
head of what is now State street. Captain Atkinson was tried first and
soon cleared as were Joseph Marshall and William Ferguson, sailors
on the schooner “James.” Then followed the trials of John Cole, John
Browne, Robert Dauling, John Daw, James Blair and Edward Lawrence who
had been forced from the “John and Betty,” Edward Apthorp, who belonged
to the “John and Hannah,” James Benbrook, the spry young seaman forced
from the “Rachel,” and Morice Cundon, the helmsman on the “Elizabeth”
when Captain Green was thrown overboard. These all were acquitted.
The four pirates that had been taken were brought to trial last.
Captain Fly, aged twenty-seven years, denied that he had aided in
throwing overboard either Captain Green or Jenkins, the mate. “I can’t
charge myself with Murder,” he said. “I did not strike or wound the
Master or Mate. It was Mitchel did it.” Samuel Cole, aged thirty-seven
years, owned to having a wife and seven children. He had served as
quartermaster on the pirate snow and when Fly suspected him of mutiny
he ordered a hundred lashes given him “whereof he continued sore to his
Death.” Henry Greenville, about forty years of age, was a married man.
George Condick, a young man of twenty years, had usually been the worse
for drink and not able to bear arms when vessels had been taken. He had
served as cook for the company. This may have saved his neck for he was
fortunate enough to be recommended for a reprieve. The other three were
sentenced to be hanged, Fly’s body afterwards to be hung in chains from
a gibbet erected on Nix’s Mate, a small island in Boston harbor which
now has been entirely washed away. A granite monument marks the site
and also serves as a warning to navigators.
With the pirates sentenced to death and awaiting execution the
ministers of the town began their ministrations and “great pains were
taken to dispose them for a Return unto God”; so says the Rev. Cotton
Mather who always occupied a prominent place in the public eye at such
times. The account of his conference with the doomed pirates, held on
July 6, written by him and printed soon after their execution, begins
as follows:--
“Unhappy Men:--Yet not hopeless of Eternal Happiness:--A
Marvellous Providence of GOD has put a _Quickstop_ to a Swift
Carriere you were taking in the _paths of the Destroyer_.
But had you been _at once_ cut off in your Wickedness, what
had become of you? A merciful GOD has not only given you a
_space to Repent_, but has ordered your being brought into a
place where such _means_ of Instruction will be Employ’d upon
you, and such _pains_ will be taken for the Salvation of your
Souls, as are not commonly Elsewhere to be met withal, May this
_Goodness of GOD lead you to Repentance_:--Among other and
greater proofs of This, you will accept this _Visit_, which I
now intend you.
“We thank you, Syr, replied the pirates.”
The eminent divine continues in the same strain through twenty-one
printed pages. As he left the condemned prisoners he supplied them
“with several Books of Piety,” very likely of his own voluminous
writings.
After Fly was put in prison he ate very little. New England rum
kept strength in his body. He absolutely refused to go to the North
Meeting-house, the Sunday before he was executed, when the other
prisoners were placed on exhibition and preached to by the Rev. Cotton
Mather who chose for his text--“They Dy even without Wisdom.” Fly said
“he would not have the Mob to gaze upon him.... He seemed all along
ambitious to have it said, _That he died a brave fellow!_ He pass’d
along to the place of Execution, with a _Nosegay_ in his hand, and
making his _Complements_, where he _thought he saw occasion_. Arriving
there, he nimbly mounted the stage, and would fain have put on a
Smiling Aspect. He reproached the Hangman, for not understanding his
Trade, and with his own Hands rectified matters, to render all things
more Convenient and Effectual.”[168]
[Illustration:
_The Vial poured out upon the SEA._
A
Remarkable RELATION
Of certain
PIRATES
Brought unto a Tragical and Untimely
END.
Some CONFERENCES with them,
after their _Condemnation_.
Their BEHAVIOUR at their _Execution_.
AND _A_
SERMON
Preached on that Occasion.
Job XX. 29.
_This is the portion of a wicked Man from GOD,
and the Heritage appointed unto him by GOD._
_BOSTON_: Printed by _T. Fleet_, for _N. Belknap_,
and sold at his Shop near _Scarlet_’s Wharf. 1726.
]
The execution occurred at the usual place near the Charlestown ferry
about where the North End park is now located, and the gallows was
placed on the shore between the ebb and flow of the tides. Thousands of
people, coming from miles around, had gathered to witness the spectacle
and after the doomed men were on the platform three ministers of the
town offered lengthy prayers.
After the execution was over and the crowd of spectators had returned
to their homes to recall its details, the bodies of the pirates “were
carried in a Boat to a small Island call’d Nicks’s-Mate, about 2
Leagues from the Town, where Fly was hung up in Irons, as a Spectacle
for the warning of others, especially Seafaring Men; the other Two were
buried there.”--_Boston News-Letter_, July 7-14, 1726.
And so ended the short reign of a would-be scoundrel who only wanted
skill and power to become as infamous as any who had scoured the seas.
FOOTNOTES
[167] Johnson, _History of the Pirates_, London, 1726.
[168] Rev. Cotton Mather, _Vial poured upon the Sea_, Boston, 1726.