Capture of the Sloop Ranger

By Gregory Duhamel

A deeply researched book describing the events leading up to and the aftermath of the capture of the Pirate Sloop, Ranger, Captained by Charles Harris, one of 26 to be tried and hung for Acts of Piracy against the British Royal Navy in Newport, Rhode Island in the summer of 1723.

This book will explore the genealogical backgrounds of specific pirates and Political figures which held office during the time. It will give genealogical backgrounds and reference many newspaper and literature which speaks of these individuals

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jun 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9781312470903

Book preview

CAPTURE OF THE SLOOP RANGER

BY GREGORY DUHAMEL

2023

- 1723 -

a true story

Copyright © 2023, Gregory Duhamel

All rights reserved.

First Edition. May 28th, 2023

ISBN-13 : 978-1-312-47090-3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. The Capture

2. Russell and Lowther

3. Edward Low

4. Francis Spriggs

5. Benjamin Edwards

6. Charles Harris

7. Peter Solgard

8. Phillip Ashton

9. Joseph Libbey

10. Pirate Article's

11. Trials of Pyrates

12. Portrait of Death

13. To The Gallows

14. Payments Made

15. Jahleel Brenton

16. Samuel Cranston

17. Cotton Mather

18. Politics Regarding Piracy

19. Buried Treasure

CHAPTER

1

The Capture

This is the focus of this book, to dig into the lives and histories of those hung in Newport for Piracy and other acts in and before 1723.

We will start at the end and discover the beginnings of many if not most of all the pirates involved. We now welcome you to continue reading to get one of the fullest accounts of these individuals and their lives and where it all started. But lets first explain who was captured and where they came from based on testimonies and historical documents and letters including quotes from other articles and books which make mention of this trial and it's aftermath... So with that said, Let's get started...

On the early morning of June 10th, 1723, off the Capes of Deleware, a large was spotted, changing its course, at once, two pirate ships followed suit... The next bit is probably the best written narrative of the event and it come's from a Officer who was aboard His Majesty's Ship, Greyhound, a six rate warship, the officer writes..

Rhode Island, June 14th. -

On the 11th, arrived here His Majesty's Ship, Greyhound, Captain Peter Solgard, Commander, from his cruise at sea and brought in a pirate sloop of 8 guns, Bermuda built, 42 white men and 6 blacks, of which number eight were wounded in the engagement and four killed. The sloop was commanded by one Charles Harris, very well fitted, and loaded with all sorts of provisions. One of the wounded pirates died, on board of the man-of-war (Greyhound), with an oath on his departure. Thirty lust bold young fellows, were brought on shore, and received by one of the Newport Company's under arms gu arding them at the goal (Newport Jail), and all are now in Irons under a strong guard. The man-of-war had but two men wounded, who are in a brave way of recovery.

Another account by a sailor onboard the HMS Greyhound will now be summarized below as it also provides some of the same information provided above.. It follows as such..

Captain Peter Solgard being informed of a couple of vessel's which consisted of 10 guns and 70 men which belonging to that of Pirate Captain Edward Low and another belonging to Pirate Captain Charles Harris consisting of 8 guns and 48 men, had been sailing off the East End of Long Island. Captain Peter Solgard at this moment had changed his direction of sail towards these Pirates whom he was commissioned to find and hunt down. On the 10th current, half an hour past four in the morning, he witnessed with his own eyes the two Pirate Vessels, North Two Leagues distance, the wind being West Nort West. At five in the morning he turned and faced southward winds, the pirate vessel's now giving chase, the gaps had closed for a couple hours, until a half hour past seven in the morning, Captain Solgard turned facing Northward winds and stood at them head on, Hour later at eight in the morning, each pirate vessel fired a gun, while hoisting their black flags. Half hour past eight, the near approach of the man--of-war took place approximately three-quarters of a mile in distance, HMS Greyhound hoisted their main sailing turning facing the windward, taking on fire several times from the pirates. HMS Greyhound finally returning fire with a round and grapeshot, leading the main pirate ship to edge away from the conflict, the other following not much longer after the first, HMS Greyhound continuing closing the gap between them and the pirate ships. The fire between all 3 vessel's continued for over an hour. The Pirate vessel's began rowing with their oars trying to distance themselves from the Greyhound, the Greyhound following suit with 86 hands on the oars. The back and forth firing of cannons and guns continued for hours.. At around a half hour past two in the afternoon, the Greyhound came up onto one of the pirate vessel's. Firing small cannon and grapeshot, the HMS Greyhound stood in between both Pirate Vessel's at this point, firing and destroying one of the Pirate Vessel's main sails. At four in the afternoon, Charles Harris's vessel, The Ranger, surrendered. Around five in the evening, then made way chasing Low's ship, until eight in the evening, Low pushed further away from the Greyhound and the Greyhound eventually lost sight of Low's ship near Block Island at Northwest and West by two leagues.

The Boston News-Letter on June 20th, 1723 wrote..

On the 12th current Captain Solgard was fitting out again to go in the quest of the said Low, the other pirate sloop, having the master of Harris's vessel with him, he knowing what course they intended by agreement to steer, in order to meet with a third consort which, we hope he'll overtake and bring in.

There stood no chance for Low and Harris to overtake the HMS Greyhound, they had no chance but to either retreat or give themselves up, Low ultimately leaving Harris behind and retreating.. Harris's crew and Harris himself would then find themselves on board the Greyhound chasing with Solgard, possibly to try and capture Low and their crew for their own survival but this proved to not be the case. Harris and the remaining crew would then be brought into Newport where they would face trial for their endeavors aboard, Ranger and for being a part of Low's Fleet.

New England Courant Newspaper of Boston wrote a week later, "An Account of the Names, Ages, and Places of Birth of Those Men Taken by his Majesty's Ship Greyhound, in the Pirate Sloop called the Ranger, and now Confined in his Majesty's Gaol in Rhode Island.

Names Ages Places of Birth

William Blades 28 Rhode Island

Thomas Powell, Gunner 21 Wethersfield, Conn.

John Wilson 23 New London County, Conn.

Daniel Hyde 23 Eastern Shore of Virginia

Henry Barnes 22 Barbadoes

Stephen Mundon 29 London, England

Thomas Huggit 24, London, England

William Read 35 Londonderry, Ireland

Peter Kewes 32 Exeter, England

Thomas Jones 17 Flint, Wales

James Brinkley 28 Suffolk, England

Joseph Sawrd 28 Westminster, England

John Brown 17 Liverpool, England

William Shutfield 40 Leicestershire, England

Edward Eaton 38 Wreaxham, Wales

John Brown 29 County of Durham, England

Edward Lawson 20 Isle of Man, England

Owen Rice 27 South Wales

John Tomkins 23 Glocestshire, England

John Fitzgerald 21 County of Limerick, Ireland

Abraham Lacey 21 Devonshire, England

Thomas Linisker 21 Lancashire, England

Thomas Reeve 30 County of Rutland, England

John Hinchard, Doctor, 22 Near Edinburgh, Scotland

Joseph Sweetser 24 Boston, New England

Francis Layton 39 New York

John Walters, Quartermaster, 35 County of Devon, England

William Jones 28 London, England

Charles Church 21 Westminster, England

Tom Umper, Indian, 21, Martha's Vineyard, New England

In all 30

- New England Courant, June 24th, 1723"

Seven were on board the HMS Greyhound when they followed Low's ship, they include,

Charles Harris, Captain 25 London, England

Thomas Hazell 50

John Bright 25

Joseph Libbey 21 Marblehead, Mass.

Patrick Cunningham 25

John Fletcher 17

Thomas Child 15

When they could not capture Low's ship, they were sent to Newport where they were jailed until Trial, One Pirate dying on July 15th in jail. (I had used gaol in these last few summaries, gaol is also a word used for jail, just for clarity)

Now with this understanding, we will now get into the beginnings of these Pirates Journey's and Explore them as individuals... These following pages comes from Recent Genealogical Research and also from Testimonies from the Pirates themselves along with Newspaper articles and from the transcripts of the Trials themselves which offer firsthand accounts from those involved indirectly and directly.

We will first explore the lives of a few Pirates whom had nothing to do with the Battle off the Coast of Newport, Rhode Island in 1723 with the HMS Greyhound, But, Without them, the Pirates involved in 1723, would've probably never become Pirates, so it's extremely important to introduce them as it's what led to