- ERIC COBHAM: The Pirate Who Never Was? BY OLAF U JANZEN GRENFELL CAMPUS, MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY THE HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND his article focuses on another “certainty” among LABRADOR IS FULL OF LEGENDS AND some, namely the life and career of the pirate Eric Cobham who, with his wife Maria Lindsay, MYTHS THAT ARE BASED MORE ON BELIEF Tallegedly established a base at Sandy Point in Bay THAN ON EVIDENCE. THUS MANY PEOPLE St George. The two, for 20 years or so, allegedly “KNOW” THAT IN 1497, CABOT MADE attacked and plundered ships and vessels as they made their way across the Gulf of St Lawrence, and murdered LANDFALL AT BONAVISTA, AND THAT their crews. I will not attempt to explain why people are THE BEOTHUK PEOPLE WERE HUNTED so determined to believe that Cobham existed–I’ll leave FOR SPORT. SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT that to others. Instead I’ll focus on the reasons why the Cobham story is so improbable. This is not to say that SHEILA NAGEIRA WAS A YOUNG IRISH pirates didn’t operate in Early Modern Newfoundland. NOBLEWOMAN RESCUED BY PETER They did. This article will begin there, with an EASTON FROM DUTCH PRIVATEERS IN examination of the reality of piracy in Newfoundland, before I turn my attention to the lack of reality of THE EARLY 1600s, WHEREUPON SHE FELL Eric Cobham. IN LOVE WITH GILBERT PIKE, ONE OF EASTON’S LIEUTENANTS, SUBSEQUENTLY Piracy in the 16th and 17th centuries MARRIED, AND EVENTUALLY SETTLED In 1604, the owners of the Hopewell of London prepared their vessel for a voyage to the Newfoundland fishery IN CARBONEAR. THAT THERE IS by taking out insurance against the following hazards NO EVIDENCE FOR ANY OF THESE of the business: “... men of warre, Fire, enemies, CERTAINTIES MATTERS NOT ONE WHIT Pirates, Robers, Theeves, Jettesons, Letters of Mark and TO TRUE BELIEVERS. WHY BELIEF SO counter Mark, Arrestes, Restraintes, and detaynements ... barratrye of the Master and Marriners of all other OFTEN TRUMPS HISTORICAL ANALYSIS perilles, losses and misfortunes whatsoever they be.”1 IS ITSELF A SUBJECT THAT FASCINATES Clearly the Newfoundland fish trade was risky business, SCHOLARS; HISTORIANS HAVE PICKED and piracy was a risk which had to be anticipated. Pirates appeared at Newfoundland as early as the THESE ALLEGED TRUTHS APART FOR late 16th and early 17th centuries. The end of the Anglo- YEARS, AND STILL THEY PERSIST. Spanish War in 1604 released “large numbers of men 44 VOLUME 108 NUMBER 2 2015 onto a job market which was ill-equipped to deal with Other measures such as the Navigation Acts, which the problem,” and the result was a substantial increase first appeared at mid-century, bureaucratic innovations over the next two decades in piratical behaviour.2 This such as the evolution of the Board of Trade by 1696, was the age of Peter Easton and Henry Mainwaring, and efforts to extend the Vice-Admiralty court system to both of whom plundered English, French, Basque, and overseas colonies, introduced an increasingly consistent, Portuguese ships at Newfoundland during the second if not always effective, set of judicial and regulatory decade of the 17th century.3 The wars of the period, practices to overseas trade. All played their part in the together with competition between fishermen of many decline of piracy in the North Atlantic by the late 17th European regions, generated behaviour which was century. Piracy did not disappear, but it was forced to often characterized as “piracy” by its victims, but which retreat to peripheral areas such as the African coast or the frequently blurred the distinction between sanctioned Indian Ocean, where the authority of the European state attacks on enemy shipping and true outlawry.4 could not be exercised so vigorously. Piracy must not be confused with “privateering,” th which was a state-sanctioned and therefore perfectly The 18 Century Resurgence legal activity during a time of war. With the permission Despite this trend, piracy experienced a sharp and of government, shipowners could outfit their vessels as dramatic revival following the conclusion in 1713 of a private warships in order to attack and capture enemy cycle of wars which had been underway nearly non-stop trade, and thereby continue to profit from their shipping. since 1689.10 According to historian Marcus Rediker, “Piracy” was an illegal activity by maritime outlaws. The some 4,500 to 5,500 men turned to piracy between 1780 edition of Falconer’s Universal Dictionary of the 1716 and 1726.11 And much as had been the case a Marine defined “pirate” as “a sea-robber, or an armed century before, this resurgence in piracy was generated ship that roams the seas without any legal commission, largely by post-war maritime labour conditions. As and seizes or plunders every vessel she meets navies demobilized and wartime privateering came to indiscriminately, whether friends or enemies.” an end, unemployment among seafaring labour became According to historian Clive Senior, the attraction widespread.12 Too many seamen and too few jobs of Newfoundland for pirates lay not in plunder, since generated a surplus of seafaring labour which in turn “the seizure of boat-loads of fish was not in itself a caused wages and working conditions to deteriorate.13 particularly attractive prospect for any self-respecting This, warned one observer at the time, “breeds pirate,” but in the provisions, equipment, and other Discontents ... and makes [men] eager for any Change.”14 supplies they could steal and the men they could Piracy, concluded Rediker, was motivated not so much conscript into their own crews.5 Thus, upon arriving at by a desire to get rich quick but by the “jarring social Newfoundland, both Easton and Mainwaring extorted and economic effects” that followed the restoration of food, sails, rigging, and men from the fishing ships peace in 1713.15 operating there, before departing for waters elsewhere in The Newfoundland fisheries were a particularly search of more profitable booty.6 fertile recruiting ground for piracy at this point, because Piracy in Newfoundland waters faded as the 17th working and living conditions in the industry were century wore on, a fact reflected by a significant extremely difficult. The wars of 1689 to 1713 had decrease in insurance rates.7 Several developments, disrupted not only the markets for Newfoundland fish all relating to the state developing instruments for in Europe but also the trans-Atlantic movement of men protecting and regulating maritime trade, contributed and ships of the migratory ship fishery. This affected to this decline. One such development was the state even Newfoundland’s tiny population of permanent navy; in 1649, for the first time, the British government inhabitants or “planters.” War-time conditions drove up assigned warships to escort convoys of fishing fleets the cost of provisions and supplies planters and their out to Newfoundland, then back to England or to their servants needed to survive the long Newfoundland market destinations; before long, convoys became a winter.16 Credit-dependency and debt increasingly regular feature of the trade.8 Once in Newfoundland, affected both the planter’s relationship with his supplier the escort vessels remained on station for the duration and the planter’s relationship with the migrant fishermen of the fishing season. This system of “stationed ships” in his employ.17 eventually developed into the cornerstone of England’s Adding to their woes after 1711 was a mysterious strategy for the protection of the Newfoundland fishery.9 collapse in catch rates of the cod. Catches dropped NEWFOUNDLAND QUARTERLY 45 from a wartime high of 400 quintals per boat to depleted. Thus, re-stocked with a larger ship, additional below 200 quintals.18 Great numbers of merchants men, arms, and supplies, Roberts left Trepassey and set and planters were left “irretrievably in debt” and went course south, to return once again to the Caribbean. bankrupt.19 Many servants found themselves stranded Notwithstanding the reports of various colonial in Newfoundland, unable to return home, and administrators, Trepassey was left behind, little the with no resources by which to support themselves. worse for wear, having served its brief but crucial Some chose to escape by selling themselves into purpose of refitting and re-supplying the pirates.29 labour contracts and emigrating to New England.20 Piracy persisted in Newfoundland for a few years Others turned to piracy. As a result, for a few short more, reaching a climax of sorts in 1724.30 The fishing years, piracy again became a serious problem in ship owners and merchants in England, France, Newfoundland. The most sensational expression and in Newfoundland protested to their respective of this resurgence was the appearance of the pirate governments that owing to the lack of adequate Bartholomew Roberts at Trepassey in June 1720.21 protection the fishery was threatened with complete It is impossible to determine whether Roberts’ choice destruction.31 Yet steps were being taken to deal with of Trepassey was deliberate or fortuitous.22 It was the problem. Beginning in 1722, London assigned three certainly a sensible one. Its location placed Roberts warships (including a second fourth-rate) instead of the within easy striking distance of merchant ships customary two to the Newfoundland station. By 1724, sailing between the New World and the Old. More at least one of the ships patrolled the banks regularly importantly, Trepassey had developed by then into a and sometimes there were two.32 France, which rarely major centre of the English migratory bye boat and assigned warships to protect its fisheries, ordered at bank fisheries.23 Roberts could find everything he least two, and possibly more, to patrol the banks.33 The needed there to refit his ship.