Introduction
À l'exemple de quelques autres officiers de la Royal Navy, le capitaine Thomas Spragg se montra particulièrement zélé pendant les deux ans qu'il eut l'île de la Jamaïque comme station navale. En effet, ce fut à lui que l'honneur revint de capturer le fameux pirate Bannister (voir la lettre du gouverneur de la Jamaïque, de février 1687). Celui-ci, qui était alors le colonel Molesworth, lui confie ensuite la mission de donner la chasse au capitaine Beare, un autre forban qui, lui, toutefois a obtenu la protection des Espagnols (voir la lettre de Molesworth du 18 août 1687). Outre des pirates comme Beare, Spragg doit aussi affronter avec des flibustiers qui reviennent de voyages dans le Pacifique (la mer du Sud), dans ce cas-ci plus justement de l'Atlantique sud, puisque ceux dont il est ici question ne parvinrent pas à franchir le détroit de Magellan. Leur chef Thomas Woollerly (alias Thomas Henley) croisait sous une vieille commission d'un ancien gouverneur des Bahamas datant de 1683. Spragg se rendra bien aux Bahamas mais il ne parviendra pas à se saisir de Woollery et de ses hommes (voir la lettre du pasteur Tobias à Molesworth, de septembre 1687). Dans sa lettre à Blathwayt, le secrétaire du comité pour le Commerce et les Plantations, Molesworth mentionne aussi la présence des Biscayens, ces corsaires armés en Biscaye sous la commission du roi d'Espagne pour donner la chasser aux flibustiers anglais et français (voir sur le même sujet, la lettre du duc d'Albemarle, de mai 1688). Parlant flibustiers, il ne faut pas oublier aussi que, dans ces années 1680, les Espagnols avaient aussi les leurs, dont une bande, comme le rapporte ici Molesworth, à la fin de sa lettre, venait juste d'attaquer le Petit-Goâve, le principal centre de la flibuste française des Antilles (pour le détails de cette affaires, voir l'audition des Espagnols qui ont mis à terre au Petit Gouave, etc.)
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Sailing orders from Lieutenant Governor Molesworth to Captain Thomas Spragge, R.N. [résumé] Jamaica, August 16, 1687 [26 août 1687]. Ordering him to sail to Providence to take the pirate Woollerly, and thence to Havanna to demand the surrender of the pirate Bear, or failing that, to seek him out and destroy him. postscript. - August 18. Leaving the captain liberty to select which of the two places he will first visit. source: P.R.O. Calendar of State Papers, Colonial Series: America and West Indies, 1685-1688: no. 1405. Lieutenant Governor Molesworth to William Blathwayt [extrait] Jamaica, August 17, 1687 [27 août 1687]. Captain Spragge was just starting from Havanna when intelligence reached me of the arrival of some pirates, with a rich prize at Providence. There they quarrelled and burnt the ship, but some of them had brought a vessel and intended to sail for New England, but were detained by want of provision. It is said that some of theses pirates have at times given half a crown a pound for flour. So I sent Captain Spragge thither first, and afterwards to Havanna, as the enclosed instructions shew. I send you by desire of the persons concerned some depositions of the injustice done to one Jennings, commander of a sloop belonging to Jamaica. He met a ship at sea to which he sold to the value of about six hundred dollars, after which he was taken by a Biscayner and carried into Cartagena, where his vessel was condemned on no other evidence than was forced from him, of having sold these goods at sea. I send also two other depositions concerning the Biscayners, one about a turtling sloop which they robbed near this island with most inhuman treatment of the poor men; the other of their taking a ship belonging to London at Tortugas, carrying her to Caraccas, selling her, and dispersing the people among the fleet. The mate and one more being sent to Vera Cruz, were brought here by Captain Spragge. I have heard a great deal more than I can yet prove of these Biscayners, so that they deserved to be called to account for it. I am told that they had no commissions when they came out but were to receive them here from the Viceroy of Mexico, to which purpose two of them were at Vera Cruz when Captain Spragge was there, and two more are gone that way since. About a hundred Spaniards landed lately at Petit Guavos in the night, and, the place being thinly inhabited, made themselves masters of the castle, but were all put to the sword by the French, except some who were reserved to be hanged, and the captain, whom they racked to death for having no commission. signed: Hder. Molesworth. source: P.R.O. Calendar of State Papers, Colonial Series: America and West Indies, 1685-1688: no. 1406. |
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