by Des Ekin
Smell intolerable: Rev S. S. Shaw, 1788, quoted in St Ives And Hayle tourist literature.
Description of castle, surrounds: Map; Donovan p93; also rec, O’Flanagan p405.
Jobs in fishing town: Richard Whitbourne, Discourse And Discovery Of Newfoundland London, 1620. For more, read Canny in O’Flanagan pp262-270 and Liam Irwin.
Chasten delinquents: Kinsale entry for 26/9/1612.
Tullagh description: Map.
Gunter ‘credit’: Smith pp268+.
CHAPTER 3
Hunting For Humans
Departure ritual for corsairs: Pitts p313, Lane-Poole p221-3; rec, Clissold p35.
City gates: Pétis p45-48; Shaw pp68-9; rec, Spencer p29
City guns: Pétis p53; Russell p322; rec, Spencer p30; ‘red mouthed’, rec Vieil Alger.
Morat’s ships/guns: Report
Two volleys etc: See departure ritual above.
‘Legendary’ Morat: ‘He grew to great esteem among them’, from 1638 despatch in Castries, p485-6.
Lingua Franca/Sabir: For more on this, see ch 15 and ch 28.
Population 100,000/many races: Pétis p7, p50; Dan; rec, Fisher pp100-1, Spencer p31.
Colour scenes in streets: Reflection of writings of d’Aranda, d’Arvieux, Lane-Poole etc; see later chapters.
Slaves on Mole; rocks broken; sleds: Pétis, illustration of The Mole; Foss; Cathcart; Sanders; Lane-Poole p245; also rec, Gosse p71, Earle p82.
Harbour origin, slave labour: Pétis p 45, p51; rec, Spencer p25
Leisure walks on Mole; 900ft long: rec, Lewis p168.
4000 died: Vieil Alger
Probably early May: Start of corsair season. Trip north took five to six weeks (return trip June 20-July 28).
Friday or Sunday, holy man, auguries: Lane-Poole p222.
Visit fountain: Near the Marine Gate. Rec, Vieil Alger.
Money invested, syndicates etc: Lane-Poole pp224-5; rec, Spencer pp48-49; Clissold p33.
Most sought-after slaves: More detail in ch 19.
Haedo quotes: Lane-Poole p222.
Iceland 4 years ago: i.e., 1627. See ch 11.
Patron saint: i.e., Sidi Beteka, whose storm saved city from Spanish.
Call and response: Pitts, p313; Lane-Poole p222.
Flag colours: rec, Spencer p39.
Pasha Hussein’s 4th term: rec, Vieil Alger.
Janissaries’ rise to power, council, Pasha selected etc: Pétis pp88-89; Rycault p16, p75; Lane-Poole passim, esp. ch 15; rec, Spencer p22, Earle p24-26, Lucie-Smith pp56-61.
Taifa Rais: Library of Congress entry Algiers/Privateers; Lane-Poole p186; rec, Wilson p37, Earle p35.
Ali Bichnin: Lane-Poole pp195-9; rec, Wilson pp43-45, Spencer p77.
Status recognised: rec, Wilson p43.
Voyage targeted: Discussed in depth in chs 34-35.
CHAPTER 4
The Spark And The Powderkeg
Overview: My account of John Harrison’s exploits are based on his own despatches to London, as follows.
Undercover trek, meeting with Morat, voyage, encounter with Spanish, return to Sallee with guns: PRO SP 71/1 vol xii, fol 129-39, as reproduced in Castries.
Sallee harbour incident: PRO SP 71/1 vol xii, fol. 173-176, as reproduced in Castries.
1630 episode; white dog; Morat’s secret, ‘a Christian at heart’, offer to defect to England: PRO SP 71/1 vol xii fol 154-55, as reproduced in Castries. (Note, Morat’s quotes are indirect, but an accurate reflection of Harrison’s memoir.)
Other sources for this chapter are:
Sallee’s role as pirate enclave: Brown’s intro to Pellow; rec. Wilson, passim, esp. ch 6.
‘An habitation’ etc: Samuel Backer’s despatch 27/11/37 as reproduced in Castries.
Harrison background: rec, entry ‘John Harrison’ in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
Morat’s position in Sallee: See note to p33 in Castries.
Two men hit it off: Harrison gives glowing tributes in his despatches.
Harrison despised slavery etc: rec, Wilson p165.
Harrison freed 260: rec, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
Morat a convert; a new generation: see notes below.
‘Seated in great pomp’: Quote from artist who visited M’s home in 1641; rec, Atlantic Jihad and Gosse pp57-58.
Morat in late 50s: he was born c1575 (Rootsweb genealogical archive).
Typical clothes: Illustrations in Russell; also Pétis pp61-62; rec, Spencer p71.
‘A great friend to our nation’: Harrison’s words in despatches.
Hundred isles: Davis poem, line 1.
Storm from S.E.: Donovan p63 and p89.
Swift verse: Donovan p196.
Carew quote/quality of harbour: Pacata Hibernia; Genealogy p93; Donovan p33-34; also rec, Phelan p32.
Traditional imports, exports: Rec, A. F. O’Brien Politics, ‘Economy And Society’ in O’Flanagan; smuggling, Donovan p102.
O’Driscoll piracy: Gibson p519; rec, Kingston p24; Lucie-Smith, p79.
Three families: (with O’Malleys, O’Flahertys). rec, Oxford Companion To Irish History.
Throw stone: anecdotal to author.
Former territory, reduced: Pacata Hibernia; Donovan p99; Gibson p519; rec, Healy.
Three forts: Donovan p34 and p102; also rec, Coleman.
Big house: Donovan p20.
Unlucky name: J.E. O’Mahony.
Waterford battles: Genealogy, pp93-95; Donovan pp20-21, pp47-49; Gibson p519+.
Forts rebuilt: Built mid-1500s, rec, Kingston.
Lives of Fineen, Conor O’Driscoll (generally): CSPI; Genealogy Of Corca Laoidhe; Donovan; Coppinger; J.E. O’Mahony; with modern analyses by (rec) Healy, Kingston, Burke, E. O’Mahony, Barnby, Coleman.
Investiture 1573: Genealogy p100+. (Also rec, Burke and Kingston p53.)
Rod: Genealogy p386.
‘The Rover’: Anecdotal. Also rec, Healy.
Gaelic clothing: Descriptions appear in Spenser; rec, Berleth pp133-136. Also see Chart, D. A. (1907) The Story Of Dublin London: J. M. Dent.
Tanistry system: Summary in Oxford Companion To Irish History; also Genealogy pp99-100 and p386.
Last: Donovan, p104.
Land grabbers: rec, Berleth pp42-46.
Collaboration better: See below.
Surrender-regrant system: Oxford Companion To Irish History; rec, Burke.
Knighted: General Fineen refs in CSPI.
Conor-Fineen clash: CSPI 1601-03, 1602 letter Carew-Cecil; also rec, Kingston.
O’Neill rising: Donovan p46, pp99-100; CSPI 1601-03, numerous refs; rec, Berleth; Battle of Kinsale.
Bridge into England: CSPI 1601-03, p277.
Other chieftains: ibid, p235.
Suit to surrender: CSPI 1571-75, item 122, SP63/39 no 50.
Malicious rebel, overruled by son: Carew-Cecil, 1602, in CSPI 1601-03.
Spanish in Baltimore: Genealogy pp386-7; CSPI 1601-03 p235; rec, Burke and E. O’Mahony.
Battle a rout: rec, Berleth, Battle of Kinsale.
Conor held out, escaped: rec, Kingston.
Fineen bribed, charmed: Smith, Donovan.
Pardon: Smith.
Penniless: He soon had to borrow money; also rec, Kingston p54.
Signed deed: Genealogy p99, p390; Smith.
Time, place of Fineen’s death: Exact date unknown but 1629-1631. Healy says 1630. Rec, Burke, E. O’Mahony, Kingston. (Smith and Donovan mistakenly say early 1600s.)
Lough Hyne: Good description of lough and legends in West Cork Walks by Kevin Corcoran (O’Brien Press).
Six decades: i.e.,1573-1630.
Coppinger’s life (generally): CSPI entries; Genealogy; Smith; Gibson; Donovan; Coppinger. Career, legal battle in more depth in chs 34-35.
Spain, O’Driscoll émigrés: Donovan p22; rec, Kingston.
Conor a hero: rec, Burke, ‘brave warrior … relentless foe’.
Held out, escaped: rec, Kingston, E. O’Mahony.
Rumour drowned: CSPI 160
1-03, p518.
Escape details: ibid, p329; rec, Coleman quoting Pacata Hibernia, and E. O’Mahony.
Captain in Spain: rec, Burke. Donovan says he later went to Austria.
Hatching plots in 1617: rec, Burke. (Also see notes on later O’Driscoll plots in chs 34-34.
O’Neill plotting until death in 1616: rec, Battle of Kinsale.
CHAPTER 5
The Warrior Monks
Algiers like sail: D’Arvieux V p219; also Pitts p312.
Algiers white, dazzling: Contemporary paintings; Pétis p48; Pitts p312; Russell p314; rec, Spencer p29 citing Nicholas Nickolay.
‘Well guarded city’: Cliché in the 1600s. Rec, Vieil Alger; Spencer x.
Gibraltar rituals: Pitts p315.
Radical protest: See discussion in ch 34; rec, Bono (see ch 34, and De Courcy Ireland p140.
Smith quote: Brown intro to Pellow.
Danser: Andrew Barker’s (1609) A True And Certain Report Of Captain Ward rec, Spencer p124; Lucie-Smith p85; Gosse pp49-50.
Easton: CSPI 1611-14 notes lxv-lxvi; also Richard Whitbourne’s Discourse And Discovery Of Newfoundland, London 1620; also rec, Senior p35; Lucie-Smith p83; Gosse p129.
Verney: Rec, Senior p35; Lucie-Smith p84; Gosse p130.
Mainwaring: Mainwaring, H. M. (1618) Discourse On Piracy; CSPI 1611-14, as above; rec, Senior p13+, Lucie-Smith p83, and Gosse pp117+.
Ward: Andrew Baker as above; rec, Wilson pp51-59, Senior p35; Lucie-Smith p81; Gosse pp134+.
Harbour, strength of fleet: Pétis pp45,51; Shaw p69; also rec, Spencer p126 and Earle p122, p452; cf England, rec, Lucie-Smith pp64-65.
Morat’s ship: Report.
Prefer Dutch: rec, Senior p26, De Courcy Ireland p143 and Barnby p114.
Wax, polish: Pitts p313; Lane-Poole p225; rec, De Courcy Ireland p134.
Stock still: Pitts p316.
Janissaries generally: Pétis pp69-70, pp 76-80; D’Arvieux IV, pp3-4 and V pp244-54; Lane-Poole p62; de Busbecq op. cit. (see ref in ch 1); also rec Spencer pp41-49, Earle pp26-31, p36, p62, Fisher p97, Lucie-Smith p62.
Bulls: rec, Spencer p43.
Uniforms, weapons: Pananti p32; Dan; Lane-Poole, p224; rec Earle p62, Spencer p44, Vieil Alger, The Government Of The Regency.
Arrows: Rec, Janissaries in wikipedia; rec, Earle p53.
Ranks: Pétis pp69-70, p80; rec, Spencer p43, Vieil Alger as above.
Share of money: Lane-Poole p225; Dan; Pitts p313; Pétis pp68-9; rec Spencer p49, Earle p72, De Courcy Ireland p141.
Salary, perks: Pitts p447; D’Arvieux V pp244+; rec, Spencer p45.
Kings, untouchable: Pétis p88-9; rec, Spencer p44.
Once celibate, kouloughis: Pétis pp76-7; Pitts p491; rec, Earle p27, Spencer p31.
Origins, child levy: Pétis p70, p76; D’Arvieux V, p244+ and IV pp3-4.
French diplomat: Pétis pp76-78, p88.
Vizier, choose fairest: Eva March Tappan’s intro to James L. Ludlow’s ‘The Tribute Of Children 1493’ in Tappan’s (1914) The World’s Story Vol 6, Boston.
Privation, cloistered quarters: Ludlow in Tappan as above.
De Busbecq quotes: De Busbecq op. cit. (see ref in ch 1).
Passing out parade, white face: Ludlow in Tappan as above.
Final refs: See ch 7.
CHAPTER 6
The Wind Dog
Wind dog: Anecdotal to author; also see Dave Thurlew’s anecdote about Baltimore in weathernotebook.org. A poem has been written about this phenomenon.
Boyle’s letter: The Letter Book of Richard Boyle (19/2/31) Devonshire collection, Chatsworth House. I am grateful to Mark Samuel’s article and especially Rev J. Coombes’s article in CHASJ for bringing this letter to my attention.
Boyle’s background: Gallwey; also rec, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
£4,200 ransom/pirate encounter: rec, Fitzgerald, Brian, p83 and p61, Coombes op. cit.
CHAPTER 7
‘All Was Terror And Dismay’
French ship: Report.
Low profile: Haedo, Lane-Poole 224
Mainwaring quote: Discourse On Piracy, 1618.
Plodding: Dan in Lane-Poole p227.
TS quote: TS 8-10 (TS’s book was ghost-written, and possibly incorporated authentic slave memoirs from more than one source.)
‘In 1793 …’: Foss.
Morat/Holland: rec, Gosse 56-57, quoting Vrijman, L.C., Kaapvaart en Zeeroverij, Amsterdam 1938.
Brooks: Brooks p5.
Pitts: Pitts p302-3.
D’Aranda: Relation, 7.
‘All was terror … (etc)’: Pananti 32ff.
Pinch, pull: Cathcart.
Searches: e.g., Pitts p302, Foss.
Coin swallower: i.e., Jean Foi Vaillant, 1632-1706; rec, Vieil Alger.
Rais confrontation: Foss and Pananti as above.
‘All is brought …’ Present State Of Algiers.
Morat sank ship: Report.
CHAPTER 8
Desperate Men, Shameless Women
Hooke frustration, hunger, debt: CSPI 1625-32, pp622-625; June 19, July 23, Aug 24 letters.
Motley crew, drunken master, Tanner &c, soldier murder: CSPI 1625-32, p645, p664, p671.
Pressganged: eg CSPI 1642-56,377.
‘Ragged beggars’: rec, Senior 17.
‘Since fourth …’: CSPI 1625-32 p623.
Whelps background: ‘A List Of The King’s Ships 1633’ from Derrick, Charles, Memoirs … of the Royal Navy (London 1806) 54-56; SP Dom 1625-54, 16/98; letter from Sir Guilford Slingsby 23/9/1628; SP Dom 1625-54, 16/173, all quoted in (rec) John Wassell’s website on the Lions’ Whelps, http://homepages.which.net/~j.wassell/whelps.htm. Also Smith 268. Rec, De Courcy pp145-6 and Fitzgerald, Brian op.cit. p63.
‘Hooke complains …’: CSPI 1625-32, pp624-5.
Button background: rec, Thrush, Andrew, entry for Button in Oxford Dictionary Of National Biography; rec, De Courcy pp 142-4.
‘Confederacy’: CSPI 1608-10, lxx.
Not as criminals: eg, Easton and Ward ‘kings’, rec, Wilson p 52; Ward.
Jennings etc: CSPI 1608-10, p277 22/08/09
Four captains: CSPI 1603-06 p386; also CSPI 1611-14 lix-lxxi.
Danvers afraid: CSPI 1608-10 p130 and p100; CSPI 1611-14, lxi.
Easton Bishop, Leamcon fleet: CSPI 1611-14 lxv-lxviii; CSPI 1611-14, p99.
Vicar, jurors: rec, Senior p57.
Hull: CSPI 1625-32 p182; CSPI 1608-10 pp355-6; also rec, Senior p139.
Goods sold: CSPI 1618-25 p560, pp585-6.
Two bases: CSPI 1611-14 p238; CSPI 1611-14 lxix.
Ports razed: CSPI 1611-14 lxx
Estates America: CSPI 1611-14 lxvii; CSPI 1608-10 p278.
Cary plan: CSPI 1618-25, letter to Conwey 18/04/24.
Pirate hangout: CSPI 1611-14 lxix
Piracy not illegal: CSPI 1611-14 lxiii
Effect on Baltimore: rec, Senior p54
Alehouses: Kinsale, letter 6/8/1610; danger there, Council Book Of Youghal 1631 p171; rec, Senior p56.
Notting: rec, Senior, citing HCA report 18/8/1609.
King warned … brawls: Kinsale letter 16/8/10
Prostitutes: Council Book Of Youghal 1630, p154; Mainwaring’s Treatise On Pirates; De Courcy p144.
Robinson: rec, Senior p56 citing HCA 13/97/208
Pieces of eight: CSPI 1611-14 p99.
Spanish ship: CSPI 1608-10 p157.
Cheaply victualled: CSPI 1618-25 p480; also rec, Senior p53.
Held out: CSPI 1608-10 p277.
Steal cattle: Mainwaring, op. cit.
Crooke accused, cleared: CSPI 1606-08 p448; CSPI 1608-10 p100; rec, Senior p56.
Captain Williams: 1608-10 pp42-49.
Button’s successes: De Courcy Ireland pp142-3.
CHAPTER 9
The Turning of Edward Fawlett
Overview: Morat’s activities are based on the Report, with commentary. The Baker/Nutt document is from The Examination Of Hugh Baker, 22/5/1623 in the Council Book Of Youghal xlix. Final hours in
Baltimore: see overview in ch 2 footnotes for sources behind my re-creation of a typical Sunday.
From Dartmouth: But the CSPI version of Report says Falmouth.
Fawlett’s intimate knowledge: Report.
Pirates used local guides: Lane-Poole p202; Wilson p122; also rec, Cordingly’s refs to Captain Woodes Rogers.
Torture: e.g., Pitts p 302, p342-3; Pananti p39; also rec, Senior pp16-17, Lucie-Smith p62, and Cordingly, various refs.
Sabbath ban not so strict: See refs in Boyle’s diaries and Council Book Of Youghal; rec, ‘The Politics Of The Protestants in Munster 1641-49’, p1-20 in CHASJ lxxvi, July-Dec 1971.
St Ives: St Ives and Hayle tourist literature.
Typical menu: From menu of 21/8/1625, Southampton.
‘Contentment general’: Fitzgerald, Brian, p67 citing CSPI 1630.
Events at Old Head: Report.
‘It had not … community at Baltimore’: Mostly based on CSPI 1635, introductory section on Religious Toleration.
Influential report: i.e., from Francis Annesley, 1/4/1629.
Franciscan Church, nuns, friars: rec, Fitzgerald, Brian, pp 66-69.
‘Lewd and …’: Council Book of Youghal p5.
Carbery sunset: Donovan pp95-6.
Castlehaven: Report.
CHAPTER 10
The Dreadful Hour
Overview: Main events based on Report.
Difficult entrance: Pacata Hibernia.
Eastern Hole: anecdotal. Also rec, John M. Feehan (1978) The Secret Places of the West Cork Coast, Cork: Royal Carbery Books, p94; and rec, Barnby, p116.
Oakum: some versions have ‘sarambo’, a muffling cloth.
‘Walked around’ version: CSPI 1625-32 pp616+.
Circadian rhythm: This time also termed the ‘circadian nadir’. For good overview, see www.shiftwork-resources.com
‘Dread not death’: Murad Rais before battle 1589, cited in Gosse.
