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The Greyhound (1718-1722)
Below are the known voyages of the ship Greyhound along with
information on her destination, cargo, and crew (when available). They
were located in colonial shipping records obtained from various sources
noted below.
November 1718 Sailed for Antigua (Caribbean)
"The "Greyhound" of Boston, plantation built ship, 110 tons with 6 guns
and 14 men, registered at Boston on 5th June, 1718, entered out on 19th
November under Benja. Edwards, master, bound for Antigua, carrying
boards, staves, shingles and fish." Source - MHS / Shipping Records:
Public Record Office, London. October 1719
Returned from New Castle* (Caribbean)
"Entered Inwards Benja. Edwards from New Castle." Source: Boston
News-Letter October 5-12, 1719. * "New Castle" is located on the
island of Nevis (one of the Leeward Islands,
West Indies.)
October 1719 Sailed for the Leeward Islands
(Caribbean)
"Outward Bound Benj. Edwards, Greyhound for Leeward Islands."
Source: Boston News-Letter October 26-November 2, 1719.
May 1721 Returned from Saltertuda*
"Entered Inwards Benj. Edwards, Greyhound from Saltertuda."
Source: Boston News-Letter May 1-8, 1721. "Custom-House Boston,
May 6 Entered Inwards Benj. Edwards Ship Greyhound from
Saltertuda." Source: Boston Gazette May 1-8, 1721. * "Salt
Tortuga" was a Seventeenth-century English name for Isla la Tortuga, an
island off the northern shores of present day Venezuela.
September 1721 Sailed for Jamaica
(Caribbean)
"Cleared Out Benja. Edwards for Jamaica." Source: Boston
News-Letter September 25-October 2, 1721. "Cleared Outwards Benj.
Edwards Ship Greyhound for Jamaica." Source: Boston
Gazette September 25-October 2, 1721. January 1722 Returning from Honduras (Caribbean)
- Attacked by Pirates
On January 10, 1722, the Greyhound was attacked by the 250 ton
Happy Delivery
commanded by the ruthless pirate George Lowther. The pirate
ship had 16 guns and 90 men. The Greyhound had 6 guns
and about 14 men. Captain Edwards and his crew battled the pirates
at long gunshot for an hour. Realizing he was out-gunned and that too
strong a resistence might
seal his fate, Edwards struck his ensign and allowed the pirates to
board his ship. Captain Edwards,
age 36, and his crew were treated in a cruel manner, taken aboard the
Happy Delivery, and the Greyhound was set
on fire. The following men from the Greyhound were forced to join
the crew of the pirate
ship:
Christopher Atwell (Chief Mate) age about 26, much Pock Broken, born in
the West of England
Charles Harris (Second Mate), age about 25, small stature, born in
London
Henry Smith (Carpenter), age about 25, born in Boston
Joseph Willis (Apprentice to the Captain), age about 18 years, born in
London
David Lindsay, age 50 years, born in Scotland
Captain Edwards and the remaining members of his crew were put aboard
another vessel and allowed to make their way back to
Boston. Less than two years later, on July 19, 1723, the Captain's
Second Mate
Charles Harris was hung in Newport for piracy. (The fate of Christopher
Atwell, Henry Smith, Joseph Willis and David Lindsay remains unknown.)
In October 1723, pirate George Lowther brought the Happy Delivery
ashore in a small cove on the uninhabited
island of Blanco for the purpose of careening (scraping
barnacles from her hull.) Here she was captured by the armed sloop
Eagle. Lowther escaped
on foot and eventually took his own life on the deserted island. He was
found in a later search dead with a pistol
beside him.
Sources: Boston News-Letter April 30, 1722; A General History
of Pyrates by Captain
Charles Johnson, 1724; and The Pirates of the New England Coast
1630-1730 by George Francis Dow
and John Henry Edmonds, 1923.
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