Thomas M. Truxes » law enforcement

British Military to Quell Smuggling Along English and Scottish Coasts, 1717

ttruxes — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 05:00:19 +0000

[London, September 7, 1717] Upon a Complaint from the Officers of the Customs in several Parts of the Kingdom, that the Smugglers are now grown so very Numerous and Insolent, in Defiance of the Officers of the Customs, they do forcibly run great Quantities of Goods, to the great Prejudice of the Revenue and Fair Trader, his Majesty taking the same into Consideration, is pleased with the Advice of his Privy Council, to Order, and it is hereby Ordered, that his Majesty’s Secretary at War, do forthwith cause Directions to be given to the Military Officers quartered on, or near the Sea Coast, throughout England as well as Scotland, That they be assisting to the Civil Magistrates, when desired by them and the Officers of the Customs, for the executing Legal Process, and other Matters relating to his Majesty’s Service, in hindering the Exportation of Wool, and illegal Importation of French Silks, Brandy, and other Goods and preventing the evil Practices complained of in the said Presentment.

[London] Weekly Journal or British Gazetteer, September 7, 1717.

Embarrassment at the London Custom House, 1720

ttruxes — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 05:00:31 +0000

London [June 1720]. One Mr. Etheridge, a Tide-Surveyor, having seized in the [Thames] River some Brass Cannons, on board a Ship from Venice, as being unlawfully imported, to the Value of £2,007. The Legality of the Seizure was disputed by the Proprietor, who brought an Action against the King; and last Saturday the Matter was try’d in the Court of Exchequer, when the Captain proving he had mounted the Cannon, and made use of ‘em against the Spaniards, in his Voyage from Venice. The Jury gave their Verdict for the Proprietor, to the no small Mortification of the Custom House Officer, who expected £1,000 to his own Share.

[London] Original Weekly Journal, June 4, 1720.

King George the First’s Proclamation Against Trading with the French at Jamaica, 1720

ttruxes — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 11:11:38 +0000

JAMAICA. By the King. A Proclamation.

Whereas we have received frequent Complaints from Merchants and Planters trading to, and interested in our Island of Jamaica, that an illegal Trade is carried on between our Subjects of our said Island, and the Subjects of the French King, by the Exportation from our said Island not only of the Silver Coin thereof, but also of a great Number of Negro Slaves, and by the Importation into it in Exchange, Sugars and Indigo, of the Growth and Manufacture of the French Settlements in America, by Means of which Commerce, our said Island is drained of its Silver Coin, the Subjects of the French King are enabled to carry on great Settlements in the French Colonies in America, the Produce of our Islands lowered in its Value, and wee are defrauded of our Customs:

And we having very much at Heart the Encouragement of the Fair Trader, as well as the Observation of our Part of the Treaty of Peace and Neutrality in America, concluded between England and France the 16th of November 1686, whereby the Subjects and Inhabitants of each Kingdom are prohibited to trade and fish in all places possessed, or which shall be possessed by the other in America, under the Penalty of Confiscation of all such Ships as shall be found trading contrary to the said Treaty.

We have therefore by the Advice of our Council of our said Island, thought fit to issue this our Royal Proclamation, not only to signify to our said Subjects the Purport and [Content] of the above-said Treaty, but also our express Will and Pleasure, that no such illegal Trade as is herein before described, be carried on between our Subjects of our said Island, and the French Settlements in America, by any of our Ships of War attending any said Island, or by any other Ships or Vessels, under the further Penalty of our severest Displeasure

And for the Encouragement of those who shall discover such illegal Trade, we are pleased to declare, That whomsoever shall discover to the Officers of our Customs, or to our Receiver-General of our said Island, or his Deputy, the Importation into our said Island of any Sugars, Indigo, or other Goods, of the Growth and Manufacture of the French Colonies in America, or shall seize on any such Sugars, Indigo, or other Goods, so as the same may be condemned in the Court of our Admiralty of our said Island, such Person or Persons so discovering or seizing, shall be entitled to the Value of the third Part of such Goods so imported, discovered, or seized upon.

And we do hereby strictly charge all our Officers, Civil and Military, within our said Island, to be aiding and assisting in the Execution of our said Pleasure herein contained.

Given at St. Jago de la Vega, the 27th Day of July, 1720, in the 6th Year of our Reign.

Witness his Excellency Sir Nicholas Laws, Knt. Captain-General and Governour in Chief of that our said Island, and the Territories thereon depending in America, and Chancellor of the same.

Good save the King.

[London] Daily Courant, December 8, 1720.

British Account of Jamaican Slave Uprising, 1760

ttruxes — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 03:59:13 +0000

“AMERICA. Jamaica, May 8. The Rebellion amongst the Negroes has been of bad Consequence to the whole Island. Their plot was deep and cruel. Their Design was to rise at Kingston and Spanish Town, in one Night; to have set Fire to these Towns in several Places at once, and to murder every Body in them. At the same Time they were to have risen in St. Mary’s and Sixteen-Mile-Walk; but the Negroes in St. Mary’s began too soon: They commenced with murdering all the white People upon one Estate; upon which the Overseer’s Boy got his Master’s Horse, and rode Express to the Governor, to tell him of it, for which he is to receive his Freedom. They afterwards seized what Arms and Ammunition were to be found, and went to a small Fort at Port Maria, where there was only one white Man and a Negro; they killed the white Man, and took away three Barrels of Powder, and marched to another Estate, where the Overseer was apprised of their Intentions. There were five white Men, which he armed, shut the Doors, and armed some of his own Negroes. He defended the House for an hour and a half, and the Rebels were going away; upon which he opened the Door, and wanted to bring them to their Duty, by speaking to them, which whilst he was doing, one of his own Negroes shot him in the back, the rest rushed in and killed all the white People, except one, whom they mangled in a most shocking manner, cutting off his Nose, and leaving him for dead; but he still languishes, and wishes for Death. They cut off the Overseer’s Head, put his Blood in a Calabath, mixed gunpowder with it, and eat their Plantains dipp’d in it, as they did by every white Man they killed: In short, their savage Barbarity can scarcely be parallelled.

Upon the first Notice of it to the Governor, he sounded the Trumpet, and proclaimed Martial Law; upon which all Business ceased, and every Man was a Soldier. The Regulars marched from Spanish Town, and the Troop of Militia, and those with the Force they had got together at St. Mary’s, obliged the Rebels to act upon the Defensive, and after two skirmishes, they had an Engagement with the wild Negroes, who brought in 17 pair of Rebels Ears, for which they received 17 Doubloons directly: That broke their Strength, some came in, many cut their Throats, and now they reckon about 60, who are all hemmed up in a Cave, from whence they cannot escape. Their chief Man is not yet taken. I believe

“there are about 25 of them made Prisoners, who are severally carried to Spanish Town, Kingston, and the places where they committed their Barbaries. I was last Saturday at Spanish Town, before which time, one who had not been in the Rebellion, actually was burnt alive for having sworn to cut his Master’s and Mistress’s Heads off, and to make Punch Bowls of them. On Saturday I heard the Trials of four more, who were found guilty of being concerned in the Murder of the white People: Two were burnt alive the same Afternoon; two were hanged, their bodies burnt, and their Heads stuck on poles. On Monday last, two were tried at Kingston for the same Offence, and found guilty. Their Sentence was to be gibbetted alive 20 Feet high. The rest will be punished according to their demerits.

Another Account from the same Person, dated May 21, 1760, says, ‘The Sentence against the Rebel Negroes, was put in Execution. One of them lived nine days, wanting six hours, without a drop of Water, hanging in an excessive hot place, though they complained of the cold in the night. The first of the Rebels, named Tackey, is since shot in the Wood, and his head stuck upon a pole; and within this half hour, we have an account of the Negroes having left three Estates at Manchioneal, and gone to the Woods; but hope it will not be so bad as is reported.’”

Cork Evening Post, 11 August 1760.

Prostitutes Punished in New York City, 1753

ttruxes — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:30:32 +0000

“New York, July 23. Last Thursday [July 19, 1753] 22 Ladies of Pleasure, who were taken out of several Houses of ill Repute in this City, were committed to the Workhouse; and next Day, five of them, who could give but a poor Account of themselves, were condemn’d to receive 15 Lashes each, at the Whipping Post, which was performed accordingly, before vast Number of Spectators, with Orders to depart the Town in 48 Hours after, under Pain of Imprisonment; nothing appearing against the Rest, they were dismissed.”

New-York Mercury, 23 July 1753.