________________
JOLY, 1926)
NOTES ON PIRACY IN EASTERN WATERS
101
411. Whatever may have been Every's origin and previous career, it is at least certain that he was mate on board the Charles (or Charles II), commanded by Captain Gibson, of 46 guns and 130 men, which had been engaged with three other vessels by Sir James Houblon (State Trials, XIII, 475) for service in the Spanish West Indies against the Buccaneers (Deposition of John Dann, 3 August 1696. Col. Off. Records, 323-2, No. 25, iv) and the French smugglers (Johnson, I, 46). Such a service was not likely to be popular with English sailors, who always hated the Spaniards and were at least sympathetic to the Buccaneers. Moreover, their pay was eight months in arrears (Deposition of John Dann). In fact, the wives of some of the seamen petitioned Queen Mary, saying that the mutiny had been caused by the men's conviction that Sir James intended to defraud them of their pay (Lady Houblon, I, 293). Aocordingly on the 30th (? 7th) May 1694, when the Charles was lying at Corunna (State Trials, XIII, 453) her crew mutinied, left Captain Gibson ashore and put to sea with Every in command. Every assumed by right of succession the Commission granted to Captain Gibson (presumably in 1692 or 1693) and sailed to the Isle of May (Maio, one of the Cape Verd Islands. Middleton's Narrative, Home Misc., XXXVI, p. 189) where he plundered three English ships, his first act of piracy. Thence he went to the Isle of Princes on the Guinea coast, where he fought and took two Danish ships, one of which was the Golder Lion's Arms (Captain John Johnson), with the King of Denmark's Commission, of 16 guns and 130 men (Cal. 8. P., America and West Indies, 1697, 404, ii). Some of the Danes joined him, and rounding the Cape he came to Johanna. The exact date of his visit is given in the following document (Home Misc. XXXVI, pt. ii, p. 181 and 0.C. 5981).
"Proclamation left at Johanna by Henry Every. To all English commanders let this satisfie [i.e., certify] that I was riding here at this instant in the ship Fancy, man-of-war, formerly the Charles of the Spanish Expedition, who departed from Corunna the 7th of May 1694. Being and am now in a ship of 46 guns, 150 men, and bound to seek our fortunes. I have never as yet wronged any English or Dutch nor ever intend whilst I am commander. Wherefore as I commonly speak with all ships, I desire whoever comes to the perusall of this to take this signal, that if you, or any whom you may inform, are desirous to know what we are at a distance, then make up your ancient [i.e., ensign) in a ball or bundle and hoist him at the mizen-peek, the mizen-peek being furled. I shall answer with the same and never molest you, for my men are hungry, stout and resolute, and should they exceed my desire I cannot help myself. As yet an Englishman's friend, At Johanna, 28th February, 1694-5.
HENRY EVERY. As Every sailed out of Johanna, the Company's ship Benjamin, (Captain John Browne) sailed, in and found the above proclamation (Log, 28th February, 1694-5. Ind. Off., Marine Records).
412. Middleton, who was a witness for the Crown at the trial of some of Every's crew in 1996, mentione various small captures, including a French pirate junk (i.e., country-built ship) of about 40 men with good booty. The French pirates joined him and when Every reached the Red Sea he had 170 men, of whom 14 were Danes, 52 French and 104 English (London Gazette, 10-15 August 1698). He burned the town of Meet [? The town of Loet, south of Mecca), as the people refused to trade with him, and collected a kind of pirate fleet, including (1) the Dolphin a Spanish ship (Captain Want, formerly Tew's mate), (2) the Portsmouth Adventure of Rhode Island (Captain Joseph Faro or Farrel). She was afterwards disabled at Mayotta and her crew, amongst whom was the "Hamburg Dutchman" Dirk Chivers or Shivers, went aboard the Resolution, of which Chivers was elected. Captain when Captain Robert Glover was deposed (Ind. Off., O.C., 6805), (3) the Pearl of Rhode Island (Captain William Mues or May or Maze, reported in 1699 to have brought £300,000 from the Red Sea to Now
