Captain of a notorious Gang of Pirates. Executed at Execution Dock, 11th of August, 1729 for Piracy
JOHN GOW was a native of one of the Orkney Islands, in the north of Scotland, and was instructed in maritime affairs, in which he became so expert that he was appointed second mate of a ship, in which he sailed on a voyage to Santa Cruz.
When the vessel was ready to weigh anchor the merchants who had shipped goods on board her came to pay a parting visit to the captain, and to give him their final instructions.
On this occasion the captain, agreeable to custom, entertained his company under an awning on the quarter-deck; and while they were regaling, some of the sailors preferred a complaint of ill-treatment they pretended to have received, particularly with regard to short allowance. The captain was irritated at so undeserved a charge, which seemed calculated to prejudice him in the opinion of his employers; but, conscious of the uprightness of his intentions, he did not reply in anger, but only said that there was a steward on board who had the care of the provisions, and that all reasonable complaints should be redressed; on which the seamen retired, with apparent satisfaction.
The wind being fair, the captain directed his men to weigh anchor as soon as the merchants had quitted the vessel. It was observed that Paterson, one of the complainants, was very dilatory in executing his orders; on which the captain demanded to know why he did not exert himself to unfurl the sails; to which he made no direct answer, but was heard to mutter: “As we eat, so shall we work.” The captain heard this, but took no notice of it, as he was unwilling to proceed to extremities.
The ship had no sooner sailed than the captain considered his situation as dangerous, on reflecting that his conduct had been complained of and his orders disobeyed. Thereupon he consulted the mate, and they agreed to deposit a number of small-arms in the cabin, in order to defend themselves in case of an attack. This precaution might have been extremely salutary, but that they had spoken so loud as to be overheard by two of the conspirators who were on the quarter-deck.
The captain likewise directed the mate to order Gow, who was second mate and gunner, to clean the arms —- a circumstance that plainly insinuated to the latter that the conspiracy was at least suspected.
Those who had overheard the conversation between the captain and mate communicated the substance of it to Gow and the other conspirators, who thereupon resolved on immediate action. Gow, who had previously intended to turn pirate, thought the present an admirable opportunity, as there were several chests of money on board the ship: wherefore he proposed to his companions that they should immediately embark in the enterprise; and they determined to murder the captain and seize the ship.
Half of the ship’s company were regularly called to prayers in the great cabin at eight o’clock in the evening, while the other half were doing duty on deck; and, after service, those who had been in the cabin went to rest in their hammocks. The contrivance was to execute the plot at this juncture. Only two of the conspirators remained on duty, the rest being among those who retired to their hammocks. Between nine and ten at night a kind of watchword was given, which was, “Who fires first?” On this some of the conspirators left their hammocks, and going to the cabins of the surgeon, chief mate and supercargo, they cut their throats while they were asleep.
The surgeon finding himself violently wounded quitted his bed, and soon afterwards dropped on the floor and expired. The mate and supercargo held their hands on their throats, and going on the quarter-deck solicited a momentary respite, to recommend their souls to Heaven; but even this favour was denied, for the villains, who found their knives had failed to destroy them, dispatched them with pistols.
The captain, hearing a noise, demanded the occasion of it. The boatswain replied that he did not know, but he was apprehensive that some of the men had either fallen or been thrown overboard. The captain hereupon went to look over the ship’s side, on which two of the murderers followed, and tried to throw him into the sea; but he disengaged himself and turned about to take a view of them, when one of them cut his throat, but not so as to kill him, for he now solicited mercy; but instead of granting it the other stabbed him in the back with a dagger, and would have repeated his blow but that he had struck with such force that he could not draw back the weapon. At this instant Gow, who had been assisting in the murders between the decks, came on the quarter-deck and fired a brace of balls into the captain’s body, which put a period to his life.
The execrable villains concerned in this tragical affair having thrown all the dead bodies overboard, Gow was unanimously appointed to the command of the ship. Those of the sailors who had not been engaged in the conspiracy secreted themselves, some in the shrouds, some under the stores, in dreadful apprehension of sharing the fate of the captain and their murdered companions.
Gow now assembled his associates on the quarter-deck, and appointed them their different stations on board; and it was agreed to commence as pirates. The new captain now directed that the men who had concealed themselves should be informed that no danger would happen to them if they did not interfere to oppose the new government of the ship, but keep such stations as were assigned to them. The men, whose terrors had taught them to expect immediate death, were glad to comply with these terms; but the pirates, to enforce obedience to their orders, appointed two men to attend with drawn cutlasses, to terrify the others into submission. Gow and his companions now divided the most valuable effects in the cabin; and then, ordering liquor to be brought on the quarter-deck, they consumed the night in drinking, while those unconnected in the conspiracy had the care of working the ship.
The ship’s crew originally consisted of twenty-four men, of whom four had been murdered and eight were conspirators, and before morning four of the other men had approved of the proceedings of the pirates; so that there were only eight remaining in opposition to the newly usurped authority.
On the following day the new captain summoned these eight men to attend him, and, telling them he was determined to go on a cruising voyage, said that they should be well treated if they were disposed to act in concert with the rest of the crew. He said that every man should fare in the same manner, and that good order and discipline were all that would be required. He further said that the captain’s inhumanity had produced the consequences which had happened; that those who had not been concerned in the conspiracy had no reason to fear any ill consequences from it; that they had only to discharge their duty as seamen, and every man should be rewarded according to his merit.
To this address these unfortunate honest men made no kind of reply, and Gow interpreted their silence into an assent of measures which it was not in their power to oppose. After this declaration of the will of the new captain they were permitted to range the ship at their pleasure; but as some of them appeared to act very reluctantly a strict eye was kept on their conduct, for, as guilt is ever suspicious, the pirates were greatly apprehensive of being brought to justice by means of some these men.
A man named Williams now acted as lieutenant of the vessel; and being distinguished by the ferocity of his nature he had an opportunity of exerting his cruelty by beating the unhappy men —- a privilege that he did not fail to exert with a degree of severity that must render his memory detestable.
The ship thus seized had been called the George galley, but the pirates gave her the name of the Revenge; and, having mounted several guns, they steered towards Spain and Portugal, in expectation of making a capture of wine, of which article they were greatly deficient. They soon made prize of an English vessel laden with fish, bound from Newfoundland to Cadiz; but having no use for the cargo, they took out the captain and four men, who navigated the ship, which they sunk.
One of the seamen whom they took out of the captured vessel was named James Belvin, a man admirably calculated for their purpose, as he was by nature cruel, and by practice hardened in that cruelty. He said to Gow that he was willing to enter into all his schemes, for he had been accustomed to the practice of acts of barbarity. This man was thought a valuable acquisition to the crew, as several of the others appeared to act from motives of fear rather than of inclination.
The next vessel taken by the pirates was a Scotch ship, bound for Italy, with pickled herrings. But this cargo, like the former, being of no use to them, they sunk the vessel, having first taken out the men, arms, ammunition, and stores.
After cruising eight or ten days, they saw a vessel about the size of their own, to which they gave chase. She hoisted French colours, and crowded all her sail in order to get clear of them; and, after a chase of three days and nights, they lost the French vessel in a fog.
Being distressed for water, they now steered towards the Madeira islands, of which they came in sight in two days; but not thinking it prudent to enter the harbour, they steered off and on for several days, in expectation of making prize of some Portuguese or Spanish vessel; but their expectations were frustrated.
Their distress increasing, they stood in for the harbour, and brought the ship to an anchor, but at a considerable distance from the shore. This being done, they sent seven men, well armed, in a boat, with instructions to board a ship, cut her cables, and bring her off; but if they failed in this, they were to attempt to make prize of wine and water, conveying it in the boats to the ships. But both these schemes were frustrated since it was easily known, from the distance they lay at, that they were pirates.
When they had cruised off for some days, they found themselves in such distress, that it became absolutely necessary to seek immediate relief; on which they sailed to Port Santa, a Portuguese settlement, at the distance of about ten leagues.
On their arrival off this place, they sent their boat on shore, with a present of salmon and herrings for the governor, and the name of a port to which they pretended to be bound. The persons sent on shore were civilly treated by the governor, who accompanied some of his friends on board the ship. Gow and his associates received the governor very politely, and entertained him and his company in the most hospitable manner; but the boat belonging to the pirates not coming on board with some provisions they had expected, and the governor and his attendants preparing to depart, Gow and his people threatened to take away their lives, unless they instantly furnished them with what they required.
The surprise of the Portuguese governor and his friends, on this occasion, is not to be expressed. They dreaded instant death; and, with every sign of extreme fear, solicited that their lives might be spared. Gow being peremptory in his demands, the governor sent a boat repeatedly on shore, till the pirates were furnished with such articles as they wanted.
This business being ended, the Portuguese were permitted to depart; and the pirates determined to steer towards the coast of Spain, where they soon arrived. After cruising a few days off Cape St. Vincent, they fell in with an English vessel, bound from the coast of Guinea to America, with slaves; but had been obliged to put into the port of Lisbon. However, it would have been of no use for them to have made capture of such a vessel; yet they did take it, and putting on board the captain and men they had heretofore taken, and taking out all the provisions, and some of the sails, they left the ship to proceed on her voyage.
Falling in with a French ship, laden with wine, oil, and fruit, they took out the lading, and gave the vessel to the Scotch captain, in return for the ship which they had sunk. The Scotchman was likewise presented with some valuable articles, and permitted to take his men to sail with him; all of whom did so, except one, who continued with the pirates through choice.
The day previous to this affair they observed a French ship bearing down towards them, on which Gow ordered his people to lay to; but observing that the vessel mounted two and thirty guns, and seemed proportionately full of men, he assembled his people, and observed to them that it would be madness in them to think of engaging so superior a force.
The crew in general were of Gow’s opinion; but Williams, the lieutenant, said that Gow was a coward, and unworthy to command the vessel. The fact is, that Gow possessed somewhat of calm courage, while Williams’s impetuosity was of the most brutal kind. The latter, after behaving in the most abusive manner, demanded that the former should give orders for fighting the vessel; but Gow refusing to comply, the other presented his pistol to shoot him, but it only flashed in the pan.
This being observed by two of the pirates, named Winter and Patterson, they both fired at Williams, when one of them wounded him in the arm and the other in the belly. He dropped as soon as the pieces were discharged, and the other seamen, thinking he was dead, were about to throw him overboard when he suddenly sprang on to his feet, jumped into the hold, and swore he would set fire to the powder-room; and as his pistol was yet loaded there was every reason to think he would actually have done so if he had not been instantly seized and his hands chained behind him, in which condition he was put among French prisoners taken from ships they had pirated, who were terrified at the sight of him; for the savage ferocity and barbarity of his nature is not to be described, it being a common practice with him to beat the prisoners in the severest manner for his diversion (as he called it), and then threaten to murder them.
No engagement happened with the French ship, which held on her way; and two days afterwards the pirates took a ship belonging to Bristol, which was laden with salt fish and bound from Newfoundland to Oporto. Having taken out the provisions, and many of the stores, they compelled two of the crew to sail with them, and then put the French prisoners on board the newly captured vessel, which was just on the point of sailing when they began to reflect in what manner that execrable villain, Williams, should be disposed of.
At length it was determined to put him on board the Bristol ship, the commander of which was desired to turn him over to the first English man-of-war he should meet with, that he should experience the justice due to his crimes, and in the meantime to keep him in the strictest confinement.
The cruelty of Williams’s disposition has been already mentioned, and the following is the most striking instance of it. Among the arguments used by Gow against engaging the French ship, one was that they had already more prisoners than they had proper accommodation for, on which Williams proposed, that those in their possession might be brought up singly, their throats cut, and their bodies thrown overboard; but Gow said there had been too much blood spilt already; for this was too horrid a proposal for even pirates to consent to; and few men, however wicked, who have committed murder, are so completely hardened as not to feel at times some remorse for it.
The fact is, Williams would have been hanged at the yard-arm if an opportunity had not offered of putting him on board the Bristol ship. When he learned their intention respecting him he earnestly besought a reconciliation; but this being refused him, and he being brought on deck in irons, he begged to be thrown overboard, as he was certain of an ignominious death on his arrival in England; but even this poor favour was denied him, and his companions only wished him “a good voyage to the gallows.” When the captain of the Bristol ship reached the port of Lisbon he delivered his prisoner on boar an English man-of-war, which conveyed him to England, where he had afterwards the fate of being hanged with his companions, as we shall see in the sequel.
As soon as the Bristol ship had left them, Gow and his crew began to reflect on their situation. They were apprehensive, that as soon as intelligence of their proceedings reached Portugal, some ships would be sent in pursuit of them Hereupon they called a kind of council, in which every on gave his opinion, as dictated by his hopes of profit, or by his fears.
Some of them advised going to the coast of Guinea, others to North America, and others again to the West Indies; but Gow proposed to sail to the Isles of Orkney, on the north of Scotland, where he said they might dispose of theft effects and retire, and live on the produce. To induce his people to comply with this proposal, Gow represented that they wert much in want of water, and provisions of every kind; that their danger would be great, if they continued longer on the high seas; and, above all, that it was highly necessary for them to repair their ship, which they could not do with any degree of safety in a southern port.
He likewise said, that if any ships should be dispatched it quest of them, they would not think of searching for then in a northern latitude, so that their voyage that way would be safe; and, if they would follow his directions, much booty might be obtained by plundering the houses of the gentlemen residing near the sea-coast. The danger of alarming the country was objected to these proposals; but Gow said, that they should be able to dispatch all their business, and sail again, before such an event could happen.
Apparently convinced by this reasoning, they steered northward, and entering a bay of one of the Orkney islands, Gow assembled his crew, and instructed them what tale they should tell to the country people, to prevent suspicion: and it is probable that they might, for the present, have escaped detection, if his instructions had been literally attended to.
These instructions were, to say they were bound from Cadiz to Stockholm, but contrary winds driving them past the Sound till it was filled with ice, they were under the necessity of putting in to clean their ship; and that they would pay ready money for such articles as they stood in need of.
It happened that a smuggling-vessel lay at this time in the bay: it belonged to the Isle of Man; and, being laden with brandy and wine from France, had come north-about, to steer clear of the custom-house cutters. In their present situation, Gow thought it prudent to exchange goods with the commander of the vessel; though, in any other, he would hardly have been so ceremonious. A Swedish vessel entering the bay two days afterwards, Gow likewise exchanged some goods with the captain.
Now it was that the fate of the pirates seemed to be approaching; for such of the men as had been forced into the service began to think how they should effect their escape, and secure themselves by becoming evidence against their dissolute companions.
When the boat went ashore one evening, a young fellow who had been compelled to take part with the pirates got away from the rest of the boat’s crew, and, after lying concealed some time at a farmhouse, hired a person to show him the road to Kirkwall, the principal place on the islands, about twelve miles distant from the bay where the ship lay at anchor. Here he applied to a magistrate, said he had been forced into the service, and begged that he might be entitled to the protection of the law, as the fear of death alone had induced him to be connected with the pirates. Having given information of what he knew of their irregular proceedings, the sheriff issued his precepts to the constables and other peace officers to call in the aid of the people to assist in bringing such villains to justice. About this juncture ten of Gow’s sailors, who had likewise taken an involuntary part with the pirates, seized the long-boat and, having made the mainland of Scotland, coasted the country till they arrived at Edinburgh, where they were imprisoned on suspicion of being pirates.
Notwithstanding these alarming circumstances, Gow was so careless of his own safety that he did not put immediately to sea, but resolved to plunder the houses of the gentlemen on the coast, to furnish himself with fresh provisions. In pursuance of this resolution he sent his boatswain and ten armed men to the house of Mr Honeyman, high sheriff of the county; and the master being absent, the servants opened the door without suspicion. Nine of the gang went into the house to search for treasure, while the tenth was left to guard the door. The sight of men thus armed occasioned much terror to Mrs Honeyman and her daughter, who shrieked with dreadful apprehensions for their personal safety; but the pirates, employed in the search for plunder, had no idea of molesting the ladies. They seized the linen, plate and other valuable articles, and then walked in triumph to their boat, compelling one of the servants to play before them on the bagpipes.
They then sailed to an island called Calf Sound, an intention of robbing the house of Mr Fea, who had been an old schoolfellow with Gow. This house was the rather pitched upon as Gow supposed that Mr Fea could not have yet heard of the transactions at Mr Honeyman’s; but in this he was mistaken. Mr Fea’s house was situated near the seashore; he had only six servants at home when the pirates appeared off the coast, and these were by no means equal to a contest with the plunderers. The tide runs so high among these islands, and beats with such force against the rocks, that the navigation is frequently attended with great danger. Gow, who had not boats to assist him in an emergency, and was unskilled in the navigation of those seas, made a blunder in turning into the bay of Calf Sound; for, standing too near the point of a small island called the Calf, the vessel was in the utmost danger of being run on shore. This little island was merely a pasture for sheep belonging to Mr Fea, who had at that time six hundred feeding on it. Gow having cast his anchor too near the shore, so that the wind could not bring him off, sent a boat with a letter to Mr Fea, requesting that he would lend him another boat to assist him in heaving off the ship, by carrying out an anchor, and assuring him that he would not do the least injury to any individual.
As Gow’s messenger did not see Mr Fea’s boat the latter gave him an evasive answer, and on the approach of night ordered his servants to sink his own boat and hide the sails and rigging.
While they were obeying this order five of Gow’s men came on shore in the boat and proceeded, doubly armed, towards Fea’s house. Thereupon the latter advanced towards them with an assurance of friendship, and begged that they would not enter the house, for his wife was exceedingly ill; that the idea of their approach had greatly alarmed her, and that the sight of them might probably deprive her of life. The boatswain replied that they had no design to terrify Mrs Fea, or any other person, but that the most rigorous treatment must be expected if the use of the boat was denied them.
Mr Fea represented how dangerous it would be for him to assist them, on account of the reports circulated to their discredit; but he offered to entertain them at an adjacent ale- house, and they accepted the invitation, as they observed that he had no company. While they were drinking, Mr Fea ordered his servants to destroy their boat, and when they had done so to call him hastily out of the company and inform him of it.
These orders were exactly complied with; and when he had left the pirates he directed six men, well armed, to station themselves behind a hedge, and if they observed him to come alone with the boatswain instantly to seize him; but if he came with all the five desperadoes he would walk forward, so as to give them an opportunity of firing without wounding himself.
After giving these orders Fea returned to the company, whom he invited to his house, on the promise of their behaving peaceably, and said he would make them heartily welcome. They all expressed a readiness to attend him, in the hope of getting the boat; but he told them he would rather have the boatswain’s company only, and would afterwards send for his companions.
This being agreed to, the boatswain set forward with two brace of pistols, walking with Mr Fea till they came to the hedge where his men were concealed. Here Mr Fea seized him by the collar, while the others took him into custody before he had time to make any defence. The boatswain called aloud for his men; but Mr Fea, forcing a handkerchief into his mouth, bound him hand and foot, and then left one of his own people to guard him, while he and the rest went back to the public-house.
There being two doors to the house, some went to the one, and some to the other, and, rushing in at once, they made prisoners of the other four men before they had time to have recourse to their arms for defence.
The five pirates, being thus in custody, were sent to an adjacent village and separately confined, and in the interim Mr Fea sent messengers round the island to acquaint the inhabitants with what had been done; to desire them to haul their boats on the beach, that the pirates should not swim to and steal them; and to request that no person would venture to row within reach of the pirates’ guns. On the following day the wind shifted to the north-west and blew hard, on which the pirates conceived hopes of getting out to sea; but the person employed to cut the cable missing some of his strokes, the ship’s way was checked, she turned round and, the cable parting, the vessel was driven on Calf Island.
Reduced to this dilemma, without even a boat to assist in getting off the ship, Gow hung out a white flag, as an intimation that he was willing to treat on friendly terms but Mr Fea, having now little doubt of securing the pirates, wrote to Gow and told him he had been compelled to make prisoners of his men on account of their insolent behaviour. He likewise told him that the whole country was alarmed, and that the most probable chance of securing his own life would be by surrendering and becoming an evidence against his accomplices.
Four armed men in an open boat carried this letter to Gow, who sent for answer that he would give goods to the value of a thousand pounds to be assisted in his escape; but if this should be refused, he would set fire to the ship, rather than become a prisoner. He even said that he would trust to the mercy of the waves, if Mr. Fea would indulge him with a boat.
On reading this letter, Fea determined to persuade him to submit, and therefore took four men well armed, in a boat, and rowed towards the ship; but previously placed a man with a flag in his hand at the top of his house, to make such signals as might be proper to prevent his falling a sacrifice to any artifice of the pirates.
The instructions given to the servant were, that he should wave the flag once, if he saw one of the pirates swim towards the shore; but if he beheld four or more of them, he should wave it constantly, till his master got out of danger. Mr. Fea, rowing forwards, spoke through a trumpet, asking Gow to come on shore, and talk with him, which the latter said he would. Hereupon Fea lay to, in waiting for him; but at this juncture he saw a man swimming from the ship, with a white flag in his hand, on which the man on the house waved his flag; but soon afterwards he was observed to wave it continually, on which Mr. Fea’s boat retired, and those in her presently saw five more of the pirates swimming towards them; but they returned to the ship as soon as they saw the others were aware of the artifice.
The first pirate, who carried the white flag, now retired to a corner of the island, and calling to Mr. Fea, told him that “the captain had sent him a bottle of brandy.” Fea replied that he hoped to see Gow hanged, and that he was inclined to shoot the messenger for his insolence; on which the fellow decamped with great precipitation.
Soon after this Gow wrote a most humble letter to Mrs. Fea, imploring her interference in his behalf; and though she had determined not to interest herself in his favour, yet he resolved to go on shore; and taking a white flag in his hand, he made signals for a parley; on which Mr. Fea sent some armed men to seize him living or dead.
On their meeting, Gow insisted that one of the men should be left as a hostage; this circumstance being seen by Mr. Fea, from the windows of his house, he sailed over to the island, where he reprimanded his people for delivering the hostage; and likewise told Gow that he was his prisoner. Gow replied, that could not be, since a hostage had been delivered for him.
To this Mr. Fea replied, that be had issued no orders for delivering the hostage, and that the man who had foolishly engaged himself as such, must submit to the consequence; but he advised Gow, for his own sake, to make signals, that the man might obtain his liberty. This Gow refused to do; but Fea made signals which deceived the pirates, two of whom came on shore with the man, and were instantly taken into custody. Gow was now disarmed of his sword, and made prisoner, after begging to be shot with his sword in his possession.
The leader of the gang being thus secured, Mr. Fea had recourse to stratagem to get all the rest into his power. He now compelled Gow to make signals for some of them to come on shore, which they readily did, and were apprehended by men concealed to take them as they arrived.
Fea now insinuated to Gow, that he would let him have a boat to escape, if he would send for his carpenter to repair it, and to bring with him two or three hands to assist him: Gow complied; the men came off, and were severally seized; but as there were other people still on board, Mr. Fea had recourse to the following contrivances to get them into his possession. He directed his own servants to provide hammers, nails, &c. and make a pretence of repairing the boat; and while this was doing, told Gow to send for his men, since he must have possession of the ship before he would deliver up the boat.
The pirates, on receiving their late captain’s orders to come on shore, were very doubtful how to act; but, after a short debate, and having no officers to command them, they shared what money they possessed, and coming on shore, were all taken into custody.
Thus, by an equal exertion of courage, conduct and artifice did Mr Fea secure these dangerous men, twenty-eight in number, without a single man being killed or wounded, and with only the aid of a few countrymen: a force apparently very insufficient to the accomplishment of such a business. When all the prisoners were properly secured, Mr Fea sent an express to Edinburgh, requesting that proper persons might be sent to conduct them to that city.
In the interim, Mr. Fea took an inventory of all the effects in the ship, to be appropriated as the government might direct.
Six articles, of which the following are a copy, were found on board the ship, in Gow’s handwriting. It is conjectured, that while they were entangled among the rocks of the Orkney Islands, these articles were hastily drawn up, and arose from their distressed situation.
I. That every man shall obey his commander in all respects, as if the ship was his own, and as if he received monthly wages.
II. That no man shall give, or dispose of, the ship’s provisions; but every one shall have an equal share.
III. That no man shall open, or declare to any person or persons, who they are, or what designs they are upon; and any persons so offending shall be punished with immediate death.
IV. That no man shall go on shore till the ship is off the ground, and in readiness to put to sea.
V. That every man shall keep his watch night and day; and at the hour of eight in the evening every one shall retire from gaming and drinking, in order to attend his respective station.
VI. Every person who shall offend against any of these articles shall be punished with death, or in such other manner as the ship’s company shall think proper.
The express from Mr Fea being arrived at Edinburgh, another was forwarded to London, to learn the Royal pleasure respecting the disposal of the pirates; and the answer brought was, that the Lord Justice Clerk should immediately send them to London, in order to their being tried by a Court of Admiralty, to be held for that purpose. When these orders reached Edinburgh a guard of soldiers marched to fetch them to that city; and on their arrival they were put on board the Greyhound frigate, which immediately sailed for the Thames.
On their arrival in the river a detachment of the guards from the Tower attended their landing, and conducted them to the Marshalsea Prison, where they once more saw Lieutenant Williams, who had been conveyed to England by the man-of-war which received him from the Bristol captain at Lisbon. This Williams, though certain of coming to an ignominious end, took a malignant pleasure in seeing his companions in like circumstances of calamity. A commission was now made out for their trial; and soon after their commitment they underwent separate examinations before the judge of the Admiralty Court in Doctors’ Commons, when five of them, who appeared to be less guilty than the rest, were admitted evidences against their accomplices. Being removed from the Marshalsea to Newgate, their trials came on at the Old Bailey, when Gow, Williams and six others were convicted, and received sentence of death; but the rest were acquitted, as it seemed evident that they had been compelled to take part with the pirates.
The behaviour of Gow, from his first commitment, was reserved and morose. He considered himself as an assured victim to the justice of the laws, nor entertained any hope of being admitted an evidence, as Mr. Fea had hinted to him that he might be.
When brought to trial he refused to plead, in consequence of which he was sentenced to be pressed to death in the usual manner. His reason for this refusal was, that he had an estate which he wished might descend to a relation, and which would have been the case had he died under the pressure.
But when the proper officers were about to inflict this punishment, he begged to be taken again to the bar to plead, of which the judge being informed, humanely granted his request; and the consequence was that he was convicted, as above-mentioned, on the same evidence as his accomplices.
While under sentence of death, he was visited by some Presbyterian ministers, who laboured to convince him of the atrociousness of his crime; but he seemed deaf to all their admonitions and exhortations.
Williams’s depravity of mind exceeds all description. He seemed equally insensible to the hope of happiness, or the fear of torment in a future state. He boasted, to those who visited him, of his constantly advising Gow “to tie the prisoners back to back, and throw them into the sea,” to prevent their giving evidence against them.
Gow, Williams and six of their accomplices were executed together. A remarkable circumstance happened to Gow at the place of execution. His friends, anxious to put him out of his pain, pulled his legs so forcibly that the rope broke and he dropped down; on which he was again taken up to the gibbet, and when he was dead was hanged in chains on the banks of the Thames.
