Pirate Captain Sentenced 1611
Therefore we, Daniel Dun and Richard Trevor pronounce. decree, and declare, that the said Oliver Piquet and his company, in the month of May 1609, were owners, proprietors, and possessors of 8000 golden crowns of Spanish money and bullion, and a ring of gold set with a precious stone called a diamond.
And that in the port of Lisbon they shipped the said 8000 crowns and ring of gold in a French shippe called the Margarete of Morbain, with intent to have them carried from there to the port of Dannes in France ; And that one James Harris, a notorious and well-known pirate, with his accomplices, in a piratical shippe, fell in with the Freneh shippe on her passage from Lisbon to Dannes and attached her, and piratically and with force captured her, and brought her into their own power.
‘And taking out of her the said 8000 crowns and ring of gold, took them into their own piratical shippe, and spoiled the said Oliver Piquet and his associates of the same, and afterwards carried them to Baltimore, a place on the coast of Ireland, whither they sailed.
And that the aforsaid James Harris and his accomplices, all and singular, who were parties to the spoil, as soon as they entered the port of Baltimore, and before they had come ashore, being on board their pirate shippe, were together with all the said things and sums of money, captured by the aforesaid Sir William St. John, the captain and commander of the King’s shippe call the Advantage.
And that the said William St. John in the port of Baltimore, and within the jurisdiction of the Admiralty of England, took into and has in his possession and custody the said pirate shippe, and all the things and sums of money brought to Baltimore, and also the said pirates, before they landed, and by his own confession, disposed of the ring and money at his will.
Therefore, we further pronounce, decree, and declare, that the of aforsaid Sir William St John, Knight, ought to be obliged and compelled to restore, hand, and deliver to the aforesaid Oliver Piquet and his associates the sum of £165 of Spanish money and £105 in gold so captured and spoiled as aforesaid, if it is in existence, and if not, its true value, which we assess at the sum of £265 of lawfull English money.
And by this our definitive sentence him, Sir William St John, Knight, in the said sum of £265 and in costs.
Daniel Dun
Richard Trevor
1611
