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1705- Bonavista- Captain of the Pembroke from London, John Noll.
1705- Bonavista- Captain of the Society from Poole, Capt. Auten.
From a London newspaper, The Flying Post, 10 March 1705 (OS) 06/NS,
reprinted in Prowse's A History of Newfoundland. London: MacMillan, 1895.,
re: the burning of Capt. Auten's ship the Society of Poole in a French attack on Bonavista in 1705.
This letter could be passed over as insignificant to Quaker history but for the name of one of
the ships - the Society:
"St. John's in Newfoundland, Sep 21.
On the 18th of August last, about 144 French and Canada Indians came about two o'clock
in the morning in two sloops and canoes to Bonavista Harbour, about 30 leagues to the
Northward of this place and surprised the Pembroke galley of London of 250 tons, 44
men and 20 guns, John Noll, Commander laden with dry fish. And the Society of Poole
of 140 tons, 14 guns and 24 men, Captain Auten, Commander. And also the William of
about 115 tuns, 10 men but no guns, having 30 tuns of lamp oil on board. They also
attempted to surprize Captain Michael Gill of Charles-Town in New England, of 14 guns
and 24 men, who discovered their boat to be French, fired briskly upon them, killed
and wounded some of them so that they returned to the Prizes they had taken and
brought the great guns of both ships to bear upon Captain Gill and continued firing
upon him with both great and small arms for the space of 6 hours, till his ship was
much shattered, He, on the other hand, playing his great! guns and small arms all
the time on them.
During the action, he veered his ship somewhat to the shoar, About 8 o'clock, when
they found he could not be taken, they set fire to the Society and cut her loose in
a flame to drive upon him, but by the great diligence of Captain Gill, he got clear
of her and she burnt to the keel. Finding that would would do, they set fire to the
ship William and set her before the wind, furiously burning to that degree, that the
lamp oil burning in a flame on the water, was like to have set him on fire, but that
both he and his men laboured in the fire, and turned her clear of them. [The buoy-rope
of the William's anchor got between the rudder and the stern and kept her clear of
them. - Penhallow]. And when the inhabitants who had fled into the woods and rocks,
saw Captain Gill's courage, they came down and appeared in a body in arms, which
when the French saw, they immediately weighed and set sail and carried the Masters
and men with them. And about forty leagues off [on the N.E! coast], they gave the
Masters and someof the men a boat, who soon after returned, to whom the French
declared, that had they taken Captain Gill they would not have left house stage or
goods in the harbour; all which is owing under God to the courage and conduct of
Captain Gill. He had but one man killed and three wounded; but the enemy had several
killed and wounded."
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