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History's Hinge - 'Ain Jalut

[Solomon]

Good question: true corsairs in the Caribbean?

The Piri Reis map
The Piri Reis map is a famous premodern world map created by 16th century Ottoman-Turkish admiral and cartographer Piri Reis. The map shows part of the western coasts of Europe and North Africa with reasonable accuracy, and the coast of Brazil is also easily recognizable. Various Atlantic islands including the Azores and Canary Islands are depicted, as is the mythical island of Antillia. The map is noteworthy for its depiction of a southern landmass that some controversially claim is evidence for early awareness of the existence of Antarctica. Piri Reis stated that the map was based on about twenty charts and mappaemundi. According to Piri these maps included eight Ptolemaic maps, an Arabic map of India, four newly drawn Portuguese maps of their recent discoveries, and a map by Christopher Columbus of the western lands.

The Ottomans clearly had some knowledge of the Caribbean.

A Cuban ambassador to Anakara , Ernesto G?mez Abascal, once gave a speech on the connections between the two nations, in which he said:

Information on relations between Turkey and Cuba in those days is hard to come across ? perhaps unsurprisingly, given the distance between the two countries. Yet distance was no obstacle to the famous Turkish navigator Piri Reis, who as early as the first decades of the 16th century drew astonishingly accurate maps of the Caribbean Sea where Cuba is located.

Anther geographical puzzle is the name given to a group of islands just off the northeast coast of Cuba: the Turks and Caicos. Caic is a Turkish word that means ?boat?. Could the name of these islands signal an early Turkish presence in the region? And what of the little bay in Cuba?s most westerly province of Pinar del Rio which is known as ?Mataturcos? (Kill the Turks)? Did some uninvestigated historical misfortune befall citizens of this friendly country there?

Navigation registers tell us that in February 28, 1596, the Spanish ship San Agust?n anchored in the Port of Havana, with 45 Muslims among its oarsmen, 15 of them apparently Turks, namely: ?Ramadan and Mommy, from Negroponte; Atia, from Telez; Alicalari, from Drahaman; Isufe, Rexefe, Isain, Al?, Beli and Brahen from Anatolia; and others from Rodas and the Black Sea?. Documents in the Cuban National Archive record that in 1640 an English merchant ship was captured by a Turkish corsair to the south of Cuba and before the coasts of Panama. Perhaps the Archives of the Indias in Sevilla, Spain, or the record offices of Istanbul would be able to provide more information on the origin of the said vessel.

I hope that this may shed some light on the matter.

Solomon

[Bobadilla]

Hello Doc and Solomon,

Thank you very much for  information. Regarding your question, Doc, I never heard about  "Reports of a Corsair ", You got me with my trousers down....(it is my grandmother 's saying ). Is it a book or document?

Regarding activities of Ottoman corsairs in the Caribbean, I talked to several Dominican historians lately and they are of the same affirmative opinion. The ship that went down in 1625 could be really one ot these pirate ships. It is amazing your quote about Turks and Caicos original name. It has never crossed my mind! And suddenly it seems to be so logical!

I read somewhere that admiral Piri Reis made his famous map of the world using much older maps origin of which had been unknown.

By the way, my dear history friends, what is your opinion about lost Templar fleet? I have read quite a lot of articles and books about this topic and some of the theories even mention possible hide out of this fleet in my lovely Caribbean. (I am not talking here about Oak Island).

Thanks!

Best regards
Lobo

[Diving Doc]

Guys,
before we get to far afield, there were French Corsairs raiding the Spanish as early as 1536.
Yes, they were called Corsairs.

Doc

[Solomon]

Hello Lobo,

After the arrest of some Templars in France on Friday, October 13, 1307, much of the Templar property outside of France was transferred by the Pope to the Knights Hospitaller, and many surviving Templars were also accepted into the Hospitallers. The order continued to exist in Portugal, its name was changed to the Order of Christ, and was believed to have contributed to the first naval discoveries of the Portuguese. Prince Henry the Navigator led the Portuguese order for 20 years until the time of his death.

There is record of 18 Templar ships being in port at La Rochelle, France on October 12, 1307 (the day before Friday the 13th). But the next day, they were all gone.

My guess is that they joined the other Templars in Portugal and became part of the navy of Henry.

The Templar ships in the Mediterranean were based in Palma de Mallorca. Pierre Dubois, lawyer to Philippe IV, proposed uniting the Templars and the Hospitallers and wrote that the combined naval powers of the two Orders would be "a hundred or more galleys".

Solomon

[Bart]

     Though at least a portion of them are better described as privateers, the Barbary pirates, or corsairs, were pirates that operated out of Tunis, Tripoli, Algiers, Sal? and ports in Morocco, preying on shipping in the western Mediterranean Sea from the time of the Crusades as well as on ships on their way to Asia around Africa until the early 19th century. Their stronghold was along the stretch of northern Africa known as the Barbary Coast (a medieval term for the Maghreb after its Berber inhabitants), although their predation was said to extend throughout the Mediterranean, south along West Africa's Atlantic seaboard, and into the North Atlantic, purportedly as far north as Iceland. As well as preying on shipping, raids were often made on European coastal towns. The pirates were responsible for capturing large numbers of Christian slaves from Europe, who were sold in slave markets in places such as Morocco.

     The most famous corsairs were the Turkish Barbarossa (meaning Redbeard) brothers, the nickname of Hızır (Hayreddin) and his older brother Oru? who took control of Algiers and turned it into the center of Mediterranean piracy and privateering for the next 3 centuries, as well as establishing the Ottoman Turkish presence in North Africa which lasted 4 centuries. Other famous Turkish privateer-admirals included Turgut Reis (known as Dragut in the West), Kemal Reis, Salih Reis and Murat Reis the Older.

     In 1627 Murat Reis the Younger (known as Morat Reis in the West) sailed from Algiers with a force of 15 Ottoman galleys and raided the Atlantic coasts of Portugal, Spain and France, capturing the island of Lundy on the Bristol Channel and turning it into his base for operations in the area. For the next 5 years, Lundy served as a base for both the corsairs and the Ottoman navy for operations in the Atlantic Ocean.

     In Iceland Murat Reis is said to have taken 400 prisoners, later raided the nearby island of Vestmannaeyjar. Among those captured in Vestmannaeyjar was Oluf Eigilsson, who was released with a ransom the next year and, upon returning back to Iceland, wrote a detailed book in 1628 about his experience. In June 1631 Murat Reis, with pirates from Algiers and armed troops of the Turkish Ottoman Empire, stormed ashore at the little harbour village of Baltimore, County Cork. They captured almost all the villagers and bore them away to a life of slavery in North Africa. The prisoners were destined for a variety of fates -- some would live out their days chained to the oars as galley slaves, while others would spend long years in the scented seclusion of the harem or within the walls of the Sultan's palace. The old city of Algiers, with its narrow streets, intense heat and lively trade, was a melting pot where the villagers would join slaves and freemen of many nationalities. Only two of them ever saw Ireland again. A detailed account of the Sack of Baltimore, County Cork can be found in the book, The Stolen Village Baltimore and the Barbary Pirates by Des Ekin.

     Although Barbary pirate attacks were more common in south and east Spain, the Balearic Islands, Sardinia, Corsica, Elba, the Italian Peninsula (especially the coasts of Liguria, Toscana, Lazio, Campania, Calabria and Puglia), Sicily and Malta, they also attacked the Atlantic northwest coast of the Iberian Peninsula. In 1617, the African corsairs launched their major attack in the region when they destroyed and sacked Bouzas, Cangas and the churches of Moa?a and Darbo. Another attempt on Vigo was defeated by the city's garrison.

     Some of them were renegades or Moriscos. Their usual ship was the galley with slaves or prisoners at the oars. Two examples of these renegades are S?leyman Reis "De Veenboer" who became admiral of the Algerian corsair fleet in 1617, and his quartermaster Murat Reis, born Jan Janszoon van Haarlem. Both worked for the notorious corsair Simon the Dancer, who owned a palace. These pirates were all originally Dutch. The Dutch admiral Michiel de Ruyter unsuccessfully tried to end their piracy.

     Raids by Barbary pirates on Western Europe did not cease until 1816, when a Royal Navy raid, assisted by six Dutch vessels, destroyed the port of Algiers and its fleet of Barbary ships.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbary_pirate

[Bart]

Simon the Dancer (15..? - 1611?)

     Simon or Zymen, the Dancer, is a Dutch pirate of some notoriety in the 17th century. He was mainly active in the area of the Barbary Coast. He started out as a sailor and eventually became a Captain of a ship. In 1606 he acquired a Letter of Commission and went privateering. He was active in that capacity in the area of the Mediterranean Sea.
After some time, in which he had little luck, he went to port in Marseille to reprovision. He left Marseille in a small boat with other pirates and almost immediately attacked and conquered a larger vessel. He made a deal with another pirate called Warde (an Englishman) and together they sailed to Algiers. They attacked anything they came across on the way. Algiers had quite a reputation for harbouring corsairs in those days. Warde sailed on to Tunis and made that his base of operations.

     Simon took at least 40 ships and sank many others during the 3 years that followed. The people on the Barbary coast and the Turks gave Simon the nickname Dali-Capitan which means Devil-Captain. After three more years of pirating he had become quite rich and even lived in a Palace. The Dancer attacked ships of any nation and made trading in the Mediterranean Sea increasingly difficult for every nation. Many a nation, therefore, looked for ways to stop his attacks (by attack, bribes for safepassage or employing him) as a privateer in the navy.

     Eventually, a French fleet under the command of De Beaulieu de Pairsac, while being assisted by eight Spanish Galleys, almost managed to capture him, but because of a sudden storm he was able to escape; he sailed along the coast with his ships where the other ships could not reach them. Eight more Spanish men-of-war, under the command of Don Luiz Fayzardo, and an English Squadron, under the command of Sir Thomas Shoreley, were also trying to capture The Dancer at that time. Some of the exploits of Simon Dancer are mentioned in a Report written by Edward Barker in 1609.

In 1609 he fled from Algiers with his possessions, because of the simultanuous attacks by three squadrons. He arrived in Marseille with four ships after having captured a rich Spanish ship on the way. He was given temporary permission to enter the port by the King of France (Henry IV) (perhaps in the hope of enlisting him in his service?). The dancer offered the king to attack Algiers and destroy the Corsair stronghold there in return for a pardon, but this proposal was turned down. He was, however, enlisted for a voyage against the corsair stronghold Tunis. What happened to the Dancer remains unclear, but he died while he was on this mission.

Source:
Vrijman, L.C.
Kaapvaart en zeeroverij / L.C. Vrijman. - Amsterdam, [1938]

Lexicon geschiedenis ...
Lexicon geschiedenis van Nederland & Belgi? / eindred.: Lick Mulder ; met medew. van: Jan Brouwers, Erik Drenth, Gert Gritter, Erwin Jansma, Marlies Mertens. - Utrecht : Kosmos-Z&K, cop. 1994

http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Garden/5213/simon.htm

[Bart]

                                                       Letters of Marque

     Definition:From: The advanced learner's dictionary of current English / by A.S. Hornby, E.V. Gatenby, H. Wakefield. - 2nd ed., 14th imp. - London : Oxford University Press, 1970

     Marque
[ma;k] n. 1. letters of --, authority formerly given to private persons to fit out an armed ship and use it to attack, capture, and plunder of enemy merchant ships in time of war. 2. = mark, def. 11 (esp. of cars).

     The original function of a letter of marque (or Letter of Reprisal) was to right a private wrong. For example, when a Dutch merchant has his goods stolen in Germany, and he cannot gain satisfaction for his loss through legal or diplomatic means, he can be granted a Letter of Marque by the Dutch government. Such a letter allows him to "capture" a German merchant to compensate him for his loss. Since the early 18th century it was no longer in use as a means to right a private wrong. The function of the letter of Marque had changed. These letters were now used by governments, as an instrument of State, to augment the National Navy. This gave the state a naval force which could attack the commerce of the enemy at no cost to public funds. The ships captured had to be brought before an Admiralty Court and tried to ensure they were a legal prize, and not the property of a neutral state.

     The privateers acted on a commission recognised under the Law of Nations. One of the principle clauses of a letter of marque is that of specifically naming the country whose vessels can be legally captured. There were heavy penalties if the property of other nations was violated.

     Letters of Marque did not completely safeguard a privateer from prosecution even when ships of certain countries were excluded from attacks. When a privateer is captured by hostile nations he is often charged with being a pirate and swiftly executed. Also when countries make peace between them and a privateer fails to get the news about this in time he can be prosecuted if he continues to attack ships of the now friendly nation. Sometimes a privateer is such a long time away from home or the colonies that he only hears the news of a peace treaty when he returns home from his privateering enterprise.

     The use of Letters of Marque was discontinued by many countries who signed the Declaration of Paris in 1856. The United States as well as several other countries signed the International Treaty much later. The US was at that time much more dependent on their use to increase their Maritime power because they lacked a Large Navy.

http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Garden/5213/marque.htm

[Solomon]

We have a thread on this: Privateers and Letters of Marque

Solomon

[Bart]

The Privateer

   Privateers were ships that were privately owned and were commisioned by a government to make reprisals, to gain reparation for specified offenses in time of peace, or to prey upon the enemy in time of peace, or to prey upon the enemy in time of war. In short, a privateer was a private warship.The officers and crew of such a privateer could keep a large part or all of the money from the captured vessels.

   The privateers acted only  on a commission recognised under the Law of Nations known as a letter of marque. One of the principle clauses of a letter of marque is that of specifically naming the country whose vessels can be legally captured. There were heavy penalties if the property of other nations was violated.

The Letter of Reprisal

   Henry III of England granted the first Letter of Reprisal in 1243. The Letter of Reprisal is a letter that gives a privateer crew a commision to take action against a particular crew or nation for a specific event. The Letter of Reprisal was the catalyst which gave rise to Privateers. In England, Privateers were originally referred to as a "Private Men-O-War" . Over time, the term privateer came to represent the ship, the captain, and the crew. The letter of reprisal was the precursor to the letter of marque.

The Letter of Marque

   In order to have permission to attack another vessel, a Privateer carried a letter of marque (a commision) from the government stating that they had the blessing of the monarchy to attack a particular vessel.  Here  some examples of a letter of marque from different countries will be listed.

[Bart]

Dutch Letter of Marque (1325)

   Letter of Commission for Hannekyn Den Loper, given in 1325 by Willem III, Count of Holland (1304-1337) and Count of Henegouwen (1304-1337 as Willem I)

   Wi WILLEM, Grave van Heynnegouwe, enz. maken cond allen luden, want die Enghelse HANNEKYN DEN LOPER, onsen poirter van Ziericzee, met XIIII siere ghesellen ende drie Knape uyt onsen lande van Scouden, doet ghesleghen hebben te Doenewyc voir die havene nu des Vriendaechs voir Sente Martyns dach in den winter lest gheleden, ende hair scip, ende hair goed, dat binnen scepe was, ghenomen, dat ghepriset (geschat) es bi onsen Scepenen, ende anders goede lude van onser poirten van Ziericzee voir XL u groeten tornoys sonder die doede lude binnen bestande, dat wi ghesproken hadden met RITSAERDE VAN BYTOYE, den Meester van den stapel van Engheland. Soe hebben wi HANNEKYNS maghe voirscreven, ende sine vrienden orlof ghegheven, ende gheven met desen brieve hare scade op den Engelsen te verhalen, zoe waer zi moghen, in manieren, zoe wat dat si ghecrighen, of nemen moghen op die Enghelsen, dat si dat brenghen sullen gheheel ende zonder ofdoen onder onsen Baeliu van Ziericzee, ende van den goede bi onsen Baeliu voirsz. ende bi onsen Scepenen van Ziericzee hem hair scade te versetten. In orkon- den enz. Ghegheven toit Ziericzee, des Donresdaechs na Sente Nyclaes dach, in 't jaer XXV

http://privateer.omena.org/dutchmarque1325.htm

[Bart]

English Letter of Marque (1405)

   The King to all and singular Admirals &c., Greeting. Know ye that we have granted and given to our well-beloved John Wellys, master of a certain ship called the James of Bristol, and to Philip Taillour, master of another ship, called the Trinity of Bristol, liberty to equip in the port of the town of Bristol, at their own charges, the aforesaid ships with as many mariners, men-at-arms, and bowmen as shall be necessary for their navigation and defence at sea against our enemies, whosoever they may be, and for subduing, capturing, and destroying the same; and liberty to set forth with the same ships, so equipped, upon the sea for the purpose aforesaid. And we will that whatsoever they, John and Philip, succeed in winning, gaining, and having by capture from our enemies aforesaid, they may have and keep for their own proper use, without claim or hindrance by or from us, or our heirs or ministers, or the ministers of any our heirs whatsoever. Provided always that under colour of this licence they, John and Philip, their mariners, men-at-arms, and bowmen aforesaid, neither do nor permit to be done any violence, hindrance, or hurt to any who are in friendship with us. Witness the King at Westminster on the 4th day of February.

http://privateer.omena.org/englishmarque1405.htm

[Bart]

English Letter of Marque To Henry Payne (1404)
   Letter of Marque Henry Payne by King Henry IV allowing him to form press gangs to kidnap enough men as crews for his new fleet of war ships (which he paid for himself); and then to sail his fleet against any enemies of the King or those loyal to him.


   The King to all and singular Admirals, captains, castellans, and to their lieutenants, and to keepers of ports of the sea and other maritime places, and to majors, bailiffs, constables, provosts, and officers, and to masters and owners of ships, and mariners, and also to victuallers of ships, and to all other our lieges and subjects, whether on land or at sea, liberties or without, to whom these presents may come, Greeting.

   Know ye that we have granted and given leave to our well-beloved Henry Payne to sail and to pass to the seas with as many ships, barges, and balingers of war, men-at-arms and bowman properly equipped, as he may be able to provide himself with, to do all the hurt he can do to our open enemies, as well for their destruction as for the safe guarding and defence of our faithful leiges, and for the safety of our realm. And therefore we command you, and each of you, that you supply the said Henry with ships, barges, and balingers, victuals, and all other things necessary and useful to him in our behalf, he paying for the same as shall be reasonably agreed between you and him; and that you be aiding, advising, and assisting to him, Henry , in the performance and execution of the premises, as beseems you.

In witness, &c. These presents to endure according to our pleasure.
Witness the King, &c.

http://privateer.omena.org/englishmarquepayne1404.html

[Bart]

English Letter of Marque Against Spain, Dated (1625)

   Imprimis, That all merchants and others who shall desire to have letters of reprizall for the takinge and detaininge of ships and goods of the Kinge of Spaine, or his subjects, shall first make proof or exhibitt such information before the Lord Admirall, or his leeftenant judge of the Admiraltye, or either of them respectively, as they shall thinke fitt and agreeable to his Majestye's intention, that their shipps and goods have bin taken out and detained from them, and that their losses and damages have bin such as they pretende to have susteined.
Item, That it shalbee lawfull for the merchants and others authorized by letters of Reprisall to sett uppon by force of armes, and to take and apprehende uppon the seas, or uppon any river, or in any porte or creeke, the shipps and goods of the Kinge of Spaine, or any his subjects whatsoever.

   Item, That the said merchants, and others, shall give bond before the said Lord Admirall, or his leeftenant judge of the Admiraltye, that they and every of them shall bringe such shipps and goods, which they shall soe take and apprehende, to some such porte of his Majestye's realme as shalbee most convenent for them.

   Item, That all shipps and merchandise taken by vertue of any commission aforesaide shalbee kepte in safetye, and noe parte of them solde, spoiled, wasted, diminished, or the bulke thereof broken, untill judgment hath firste passed in the highe courte of Admiralty that the said goods are lawfull prize; otherwise the said commission to bee voyed, as well to the taker, as to all others that shall buy or intermeddle with the said goods, or any parte of them.

   Item, That yf, by reason of opposition in the adjudication of the shipps and goods taken for lawfull prize, there bee necessitye, before the adjudication, to sell them because they bee peritura, and servando sine damno servari non possunt, in this case the judge of the Admiralty shall graunte commission to take a true Inventory and Appraisement thereof by five honest and sufficient men, and sell the same plus offerenti, and to returne the proceed, together with the said Inventory and Appraisement into the courte of Admiralty, there to remaine to the use of them to whom of righte they shalbee adjudged to appertaine.

   Item, That those merchants, and others, which shall have the said letters of Reprizall, shall not attempte any thinge against any of his Majestye's lovinge subjects, or the subjects of any other Prince or state in good league and amitye with his Majestye, but only against the Kinge of Spaine, and his subjects.

   Item, That after adjudication passed in the highe courte of Admiraltye as aforesaid, it shalbee lawfull for the merchants and others to keepe such and soe many shippes, goods, and merchandise as aforesaid, as shalbee adjudged unto them, in their possession, and to make sale and dispose therof in open market, or howsoever ells, to their best advantage and benefitt, in as ample manner as at any tyme heretofore hath beene accustomed by way of Reprizall, and to have and injoye the same, as lawfull prizes, and as their own goods.

   Item, That all and every of his Majestye's subjects, or any other person who shall, either in his owne person serve, or otherwise beare any chardge or adventure, or in any sorte further and sett forward the said enterprise, according to the Articles, shall not in any manner of wise bee reputed or challenged for any offender againste anye of his Majestye's lawes, but shall stande and bee by vertue of the said commission from the said Lord Admirall free and freed, under his Majestye's protection, of and from all trouble and vexation that might in any wise growe thereby.

I   tem, That yt shalbee lawfull for all manner of persons, as well his Majestye's subjects, as any other, to buy of the said goods or merchandise soe taken and apprehended by the said merchants and others, and adjudged for lawfull prize, as is aforesaid, without any daunger, losse, hindrance, trouble, molestation, or incumbrance, to befall the said buyers, or any of them, and in as ample and lawfull manner as if the said goods had bin comen by through the lawfull trafficq of merchants, or as juste prizes in the tyme of open war.

   Item, That the said merchants, and others, before the takinge of the said commission, shall give notice to the Lord Admirall or to his leeftenante judge of the Admiralty, of the name of the shipp, and her tonnage or burthen, and the name of the captaine or owner of the said shipp, with the number of mariners and men in her, and for what tyme they are victualled, and alsoe of their ordnaunce, furniture, and municon, to the intent that there may bee an accompte made therof at their returne.

At Hampton Court, the Third of November 1625

http://privateer.omena.org/englishmarque1625.html

[Bart]

Scottish Letter of Marque Against Spain (1626)


   This is an example of a Scots Letter of Marque, dated the 20th April 1626. It was issued to David Alexander captain of The James of Anstruther authorizing him to attack ships of Spain. The letter is archived in the register of the Privy Council of Scotland (second series 1:283), Edinburgh 1877-1933.

   Charles R.-Oure Soverane Lord ordanis ane letter of markque to be made under the grite seale in dew forme makand mentioun that his Majestie, considdering the manie grite indignities and injuries done to his Majestie and his umquhile darrest father of worthie memorie under cullour of treaties and allyanceis by the King of Spayne, and the many violencis offerit be the said King and his subjectis to divers of his Majesteis subjectis by taking, slaying and ransoning thame in hostilemaner whenas thay intendit thair lawfull merchandice at sea; and his Majestie in his princelie wisdome and providence foirsieing that, whill the said King of Spayne contineweth in these courssis of hostilitie, itis not aggreeable with his Majesteis honnour nor pollicie that his Majestie sould ony longer forbeare these remedies whilk the law of nationis in matteris of this kynd allowis and approves: Thairfore his Majestie, with advise of the Lordis of his Secreit Counsell, hes gevin and grantit, and be tennour heirof gevis and grantis, full power and commissioun, expres bidding and charge, to David Alexander, capitane of the ship callit The James of Anstruther , to arme and furnishe his said ship with men, vittalis, armour and artiellirie grite and small, and with poulder, leid, lunt and all other wearlike furnitout and provisioun, and with his said ship to mak his addresse to the sea, and thair to searche, seik, follow and persew with all hostilitie, and to tak or sink, the shippis or goodes of the said king of Spayne and his subjectis, alsweele of the Low cuntreyis under the governament of the Infanta Issobella, as of otheris his dominionis, according as the necessitie of the tyme of the persute sall fall oute; and alsua to impeshe, stay, and arreist all otheris shippis of whatsomever cuntrey or natioun whome he may apprehend going to West Flanderis or ony other of the said King of Spayne his dominionis with victuall, money, armour, or with intention to goe to the same with ony provisionis serveing to build furnishe, or arme any shippis of warre or ony munitioun for the warre or materiallis for the same, and to bring in the saidis shippis and goodes to ony port or harhorie, thair to be sauld and ordoured as goodes dewlie foirfeytted to his majestie; the companie and equippage of the Spanishe or West Flanderis shippis so taikin to detene or ransoun as the said David sall think expedient; the commodities and goodes being within the same shippis to meddle and intromet with, and to use the same shippis and goodes as pryise laufullie foirfeytted to his Majestie; and to use suche militarie lawis agains the companie equippage of the saidis shippis as is usuall in matteris of this kynd agains profest and avowwed enemies to his majestie and his estate; and generallie with power to the said David to doe and performe all and everie other thing that towardis the execution of the premissis is necessarlie requisite: Ferme and stable halding and for to hald all and whatsomevir thingis sal be laughfullie done heirin, and that the said commissioun be extendit in the best forme with all claussis neidfull, and be direct to all kingis, princes, dukes, governouris, and republicquis, magistrattis of burrowis and commanderis of navyis, and to all otheris his Majesteis freindis and confederattis whome these presentis doe or may concerne; requesting thame to acknawledge the said David and companie and equippage of his ship as his majesteis goode and laughfull subjectis authorized with his Majesteis warrand and commissioun for executioun of the praemissis; and if the said David salhappin to come in thair boundis with ony pryise or pryises tane be him, thast thay suffer and permitt him to mak laughfull merchandice thairof, and to sell and dispone upon the same at his pleasure; and that thay furneis him with vittaillis and otheris necessaris upoun his reasounable expenssis, and withstand and resist all violenec that salbe offerit unto thame; and that thay shawe all otheris commoun dewties of friendship unto thame, as his Majestie salbe carefull in all occurrentis of this kynd to caus the like be shawne unto thame and thair subjectis. And that thir presentis be ane warrand to the gritte seale without ony furder preceptis to be direct thairupoun, and dureing the tyme of the warre after the date heirof but revocatioun to indure.

Gevin at Halyrudhous, the tuentie day of Aprile 1626.

Sic subscribitur, Geo.Cancell., Mar, Montrois, Wyntoun, Linlithgow, Perth, Wigtoun, Roxburgh, Bugcleugh.

http://privateer.omena.org/scottishmarque1626.html

[Bart]

Actual Image of A Letter Of Marque/Patent To Sir Francis Drake