In search of Captain Avery's treasure

[Yellow Fly]

With one of the greatest heists of all time under their belt, the pirates now had to divide the treasure and enjoy their spoils. It had been a long road since they started the Spanish Expedition and they had lost a great number of crew in the process of taking the Ganj-i-sawai. According to Charles Johnson in his A General History of Pyrates, he persuaded the other captains to leave the stolen Mughal loot aboard the Fancy and quietly sailed away in the night.

Every and the crew of the Fancy then sailed for Ile Bourbon and arrived in November of 1695. It was there that they decided to divide the loot with each pirate making about £1,000 (£93,300 to £128,000 today). This was more money than most sailors ever made in their lifetime and in addition to the pure gold, each received many gemstones.

This total haul was worth so much that Every and his men were the first known public enemies by the British Empire. The British East India Company was forced to pay a £600,000 insurance claim to the Mughals which rightly pissed off the crown. After the division of loot there were many differences in opinion of where to sail next. The French and the Danish that were recruited by Every decided to leave the crew and stay at Bourbon.

Every and the remaining crew along with the Fancy set sail for the pirate haven of Nassau on the island of New Providence in the Bahamas.

Every and his men decided to use some of their loot to purchase the universal currency of the time, slaves. The belief was that Every could use them to perform the grueling physical labor in order to augment the crew he lost raiding the Mughal convoy. They also could be traded for any supplies along the way and would not reveal any of the stolen currency that they truly had which was most likely in the form of Indian and Arabian coins. They all agreed on aliases and decided to retain a low profile.

To sail from the Indian Ocean to the Bahamas while most of the known civilized world was looking for you was a feat in and of itself. Every and the crew of the Fancy eventually stopped off in Ascension Island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. While the island was uninhabited they managed to scrape together some food before heading off towards the Bahamas. It was here than seventeen of Every's crew decided to stay on the island instead of continue on to the Bahamas.

to be continued......

Crow

Question - like with most tales of sharing loot, they all seem to divide the gains while in pirate havens?
‘No honor among thieves’ Why? Why when the location is littered with pirates do they decided to distribute the share in sight of other pirates.
Surely a little discretion prior to arrival before the partying begins, I can’t see the logic in this.
admittedly the location was a little sparse given the makings of a pirate haven but even still such a prominent island stop off on the rounds.

 

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[BennyV]

Question - like with most tales of sharing loot, they all seem to divide the gains while in pirate havens?
‘No honor among thieves’ Why? Why when the location is littered with pirates do they decided to distribute the share in sight of other pirates.
Surely a little discretion prior to arrival before the partying begins, I can’t see the logic in this.
admittedly the location was a little sparse given the makings of a pirate haven but even still such a prominent island stop off on the rounds.

I mean these guys were at sea for a long time. The probably just wanted to whack up their loot and party. I’m sure their reputation preceded them. No need to hide anything. After all. Who is dumb enough to screw with a gang of successful pirates? Even one of the main authorities let them slide.

 

[Crow]

Go

I mean these guys were at sea for a long time. The probably just wanted to whack up their loot and party. I’m sure their reputation preceded them. No need to hide anything. After all. Who is dumb enough to screw with a gang of successful pirates? Even one of the main authorities let them slide.

Good point.

But unfortunately who have to take human nature into account. Academics some times have confirmation bias. The problem they stereo type all pirates as uneducated from the bottom of society that lived from the moment not knowing they was going to die from day to day. So many squandered their money gambling and wasting money of drink and prostitutes and loose women all too eager to relive some drunken sailor of his loot.

For the most part it is true yet not all people are the same. Some of these pirates had families that depended on them. So regardless of their crimes they still had family connections and desire to relieve some of the poverty their family members at home was going though.

Indeed several members of Avery's crew returned to England is a classic example. they had a reason to return. For for some would squandered their money others would saved it as best they could. Pirate stole from one another. so trust amigos was not always what it seemed. Some would cached treasure temporary as there was even little trust among crew members of each other.

Some of these temporary caches most likely never retrieved because due various reasons the pirate never returned or was murdered by a fellow pirate, died of scurvy or disease or swung from a hangman's noose.

Crow

 

[Yellow Fly]

Go

Good point.

But unfortunately who have to take human nature into account. Academics some times have confirmation bias. The problem they stereo type all pirates as uneducated from the bottom of society that lived from the moment not knowing they was going to die from day to day. So many squandered their money gambling and wasting money of drink and prostitutes and loose women all too eager to relive some drunken sailor of his loot.

For the most part it is true yet not all people are the same. Some of these pirates had families that depended on them. So regardless of their crimes they still had family connections and desire to relieve some of the poverty their family members at home was going though.

Indeed several members of Avery's crew returned to England is a classic example. they had a reason to return. For for some would squandered their money others would saved it as best they could. Pirate stole from one another. so trust amigos was not always what it seemed. Some would cached treasure temporary as there was even little trust among crew members of each other.

Some of these temporary caches most likely never retrieved because due various reasons the pirate never returned or was murdered by a fellow pirate, died of scurvy or disease or swung from a hangman's noose.

Crow

Hello,
I agree with the want / need to let loose & the various reasons some blow it all or stash.
The reasoning am asking is throughout, if a find pops up of pirate treasure in particular.
Is there a kind of theme to how & where finds have been found.
- pirate havens sure
Where else?
There is a need, if sober enough to bury whatever somewhere & dependant on weight, I’d assume it would more likely be caches which are closer to fresh water streams, rivers etc - hard work digging holes.
Or even the high points of whatever area, given look outs were needed. Or most probably routes up to view point.
Beaches or just off beaches etc.
Many perhaps no marking and simply just prominent landmarks, boulders etc.

 

[Crow]

Good question?

In my experience roaming the world searching for treasure. there is no theme, rhyme or reason. If there was? Much more would be found. Forget about treasure signs at the and of day they can mean anything?

Most probably burials of treasure was an hasty affair and person burying treasure used a land mark, a stone or tree as reference to find and recover.

But how each person buries treasure is totally different from each other. If you look at treasure burials from the collapse of roman empire in Britain. As society in a time of crisis collapsed and burial of treasure was common. Most buried treasure was buried close to habitation to where they lived. When War destroyed those habitations and those buried treasure perished.These treasure hoards was forgotten. Centuries later there farmers fields with many treasure burials just barely below plow depth. There no treasure signs or prominent land marks. No theme amigo.

In most countries treasure was buried during time of uncertainty and turmoil or conflict or fear of robbery or the proceeds of crime. There is no hard and fast rules of burying treasure. no secret signs or codes only in minds of 20th century treasure authors.

Treasure is only is and always is where you find it.

Crow

 

[Crow]

In the case of The Fancy. Some crew probably lost everything they had gambling drinking and womanizing.

Other's stayed in the Bahamas. others went to America. Others went to Ireland and others went to England. Some was Hung. But not all. Some of the crew broke apart going their separate ways. Some I am sure even enjoyed their share and prospered. Others died in poverty. Others died through disease or murder after hiding their share from other pirates.

With any of these locations. They are JUST possible sites where hidden caches may or may not be buried?

All you are achieving in researching these sites is lowing the odds against you a little.

Crow

 

[Blak bart]

Go

Good point.

But unfortunately who have to take human nature into account. Academics some times have confirmation bias. The problem they stereo type all pirates as uneducated from the bottom of society that lived from the moment not knowing they was going to die from day to day. So many squandered their money gambling and wasting money of drink and prostitutes and loose women all too eager to relive some drunken sailor of his loot.

For the most part it is true yet not all people are the same. Some of these pirates had families that depended on them. So regardless of their crimes they still had family connections and desire to relieve some of the poverty their family members at home was going though.

Indeed several members of Avery's crew returned to England is a classic example. they had a reason to return. For for some would squandered their money others would saved it as best they could. Pirate stole from one another. so trust amigos was not always what it seemed. Some would cached treasure temporary as there was even little trust among crew members of each other.

Some of these temporary caches most likely never retrieved because due various reasons the pirate never returned or was murdered by a fellow pirate, died of scurvy or disease or swung from a hangman's noose.

Crow

Explains why as an astute treasure hunter I must look where every paused before going into nassau....as I've said before...there is no tale or story about where I'm looking....there isn't a legend or papers claiming anything about treasure on royal island, but if your well read on the subject of pirates, and you are able to get into the mind set of the time....well you can't let the brief mention of every pausing at royal island be a missed opportunity!! This is a major event !! What do you think they did here for at least a few days....possibly a week or more ?? I have to absolutely 💯 check this by all means. The fact that he stopped here and what he might expect as a response from nassau, is reason enough for "ME" to absolutely have to check some obvious places of landing if he was anchored here....any one know how much the fancy drew as far as draft....this would help me figure where they may have anchored....if a miracle of heaven occurred I could find this Anchorage, and possibly bottles related to the fancy at that spot on the ocean floor !! We know at the very least they drank, while at anchor!! If I find the probable anchoring spots, then landing spots adjacent to Anchorage could be checked....at that point we are land hunting for small emergency caches hidden by individual pirates on the island in case of a hostile reception, hasty retreat/escape from nassau !! This is just common pirate sense....if you have 70 gold dabloons.....put 10 in a ceramic jar, and stash above the high water mark for retrieveal later in an emergency.

 

[Blak bart]

Just imagine you've committed piracy, murder, theft, etc etc !! Now you are sending a boat with a bribe to a place 50 miles away, and your sitting on your ship waiting for a response from a new governor that your not sure will be accepting of your bribe ? He might try and capture you some how ? It seems plausible that some money might be cached in case you had to flee ashore, and your ship were seized or sunk ? This pause at Royal island would have been one of the most vulnerable times for Every and he would have been on full alert I would imagine !! 🤔🤔🤔

 

[BennyV]

Just imagine you've committed piracy, murder, theft, etc etc !! Now you are sending a boat with a bribe to a place 50 miles away, and your sitting on your ship waiting for a response from a new governor that your not sure will be accepting of your bribe ? He might try and capture you some how ? It seems plausible that some money might be cached in case you had to flee ashore, and your ship were seized or sunk ? This pause at Royal island would have been one of the most vulnerable times for Every and he would have been on full alert I would imagine !! 🤔🤔🤔

An insurance policy. I think Kidd did the same somewhere close to NY as well.

 

[Crow]

An insurance policy. I think Kidd did the same somewhere close to NY as well.

Yes that was true he did as a insurance policy. Here is some of it below. Here is gold bowl and gold ring. part of Kidd's loot buried on GardIners island

Yes that was true.A lot was recovered at the time. this was William Kidds insurance policy.

this was list of what was sent back to England but you can bet your ass Governor Belmont pocked treasure for himself.

Although Kidd was keen to secure exoneration for his actions, which had crossed the line from privateering into piracy, he was no fool. Foreseeing the possibility that he was walking into a trap, he had taken the precaution to hide his treasure, which could if necessary be used as a bargaining chip to help negotiate his pardon and release.

One of the locations where Kidd buried his loot was on Gardiner’s Island, just off the eastern tip of Long Island. However shortly after Kidd’s capture this cache was recovered by the authorities as on 25 July 1699 Bellomont drew up an inventory of what had been concealed on the island. In one chest they found over 200 bars of silver, an enamelled silver box inlaid with diamonds and a diamond ring. In another casket they discovered no less than 67 rubies.

Here is Gardnier sworn state of what treasure was left on the island. but as you see it appears the faily profited from treasure and not all was listed on the statement.

Yet the hoard unearthed from Gardiner’s Island may have only been a tiny fraction of Kidd’s fortune. In a letter to the Board of Trade, dated 5 January 1699/1700, Bellomont reported that a fortnight previously Kidd had sent word to him via the jailer with a proposition. Kidd proposed that if Bellomont were to let him go to the place where he had left his ship the Quedagh Merchant and to sail to ‘St Thomas’s Island and Curaçao’ in the Caribbean he would bring back a treasure worth some fifty or sixty thousand pounds, ‘which would otherwise be lost’. To allay any fears that he would use the opportunity to escape, Kidd said that he would be willing to go as Bellomont’s prisoner. However, Bellomont, eager to completely disassociate himself from Kidd, was certainly not going to let him take to the high seas again. In reply Bellomont told Kidd that ‘he was the King’s prisoner’ and therefore ‘could hearken to no such proposition’.

Even so, the promise of further undiscovered riches was a tempting prospect and Bellomont instructed the jailer to try to gain Kidd’s confidence and to get him to reveal the location of the treasure. However, the jailer proved wholly unsuccessful in this task and Kidd only said that ‘nobody could find it but himself and would not tell any further’.

Even so Bellomont tried to get is jailer to get more information out of Kidd.

This document below is an article of agreement linking the crown and admiralty. This was an embarrassment for the government of day. So it was conveniently lost until rediscovered after Kidd was executed

Here was a letter of marque below and even that was ignored.

Getting back to Avery they was almost contemporary to each other. Avery had so such illusions that he had a ghost of chance cutting a deal for being a pirate. Avery disappeared and Kidd swung from yardarm at constitution dock.

So these two cases from the time shows that pirates given the situation was prepared to have caches to spare themselves from the hangman's rope.

So for me the probability of scattered caches belonging to some crew of those vessel do exist for various mention region. I believe treasure was many times falsely attributed to both these men and other famous pirates.

Crow

 

[Crow]

A case in question kids Crew or Avery's crew or somebody else?

Many newspapers ran a story in 1872 about treasure being found in the Staten Island Sound (now known as the Author Kill Channel). It attributed the finds to possibly belonging to the pirate William Kidd. Now it’s well known that Kidd frequented the New York City area and also resided there for a time.

Of all the stories about buried pirate treasure, iI cannot count the amount of buried treasure tale attributed to Captain William Kidd always. There’s almost nowhere along the east and gulf coasts of the U.S., the Caribbean, and other areas around the world, where there isn’t a story of supposed treasure being buried there by William Kidd.

According to the newspaper reports, an oyster fisherman named Van Pelt, along with his father and another oysterman, found a number of large silver coins while dredging for oysters not far below Elizabethport, between the mouth of a narrow stream known to older residents as “Morss Creek,” or “Morse’s Creek” (believe Morses is correct as it’s on current maps), and the brick yard of “Kelly, Sheridan & Curtis.”

All showed their age due to corrosion or encrustation, and many were attached to some small oysters. Word got out, and soon hundreds of other oystermen were on the site. Three brothers named Dixon, also oystermen, were said to have recovered a large quantity of these coins. The brothers recovered 80 coins one day and some were Spanish “Cob” coins and were dated 1604. The coins that were shown by the Van Pelts and the Dixons, ranged in years from 1534 to 1687, and were mostly of Spanish, Flemish and East Indian origin.

It was believed much more remained on the seabed. As the report was being written, it mentioned more coins were still being found and that there was a swarm of boats now at the site.
Other newspaper reports mentioned that around forty years earlier, a large number of people had dug up the land in the same area and recovered treasure before the “sea encroached upon it.” How many coins were actually found in 1872 was not revealed, and I’m sure the finders kept the true amount secret.

One newspaper had a couple diagrams and descriptions of what was imprinted on some of the coins that they were able to get a glimpse of. Most of the Spanish coins were said to be from either the Lima or Potosi mint or maybe both, and the word HISPANIA was seen on some, as was the “PLV SVL TRA” motto (which translates to plus ultra or “more beyond,”) and some had the number “8” indicating eight reals.

Another was said to have an image of a dragon and keys on it. The coins varied in sizes. Most newspapers only reported silver coins being found, though one paper said both gold and silver.

The Authur Kill Channel was known as the “Staten Island Sound” in 1872, and is the waterway that runs between Staten Island and New Jersey, from Elizabeth down past Perth Amboy and into the Raritan Bay. The mouth of Morses Creek lies just south of the Goethal’s Bridge, which I’ve driven over numerous times, never realizing that treasure was found close by. The water way averages about a quarter mile across, and is home to many industrial shipping and dockage sites. Brick manufacturing was abundant in the area in 1872 and the location of the brickyard mentioned should be available in local archives and I believe is on the Jersey side.

Judging on the dating of these coins they predate both Kidd and Avery. the fact of the matter is there are pirate commuting robberies at see now one has every heard of. Some most likely successful they never was known.

This point in question show how hard it is to attribute coins to any particular pirate, no matter how tempting it is.

Even with claims of treasure like lost mine they do not have a name on it. So it easy to jump to conclusions. Even on Cornish coast the coins found is still not a 100% proof. these coasts in America and England was full of maritime commerce like Bahamas and many other places with people coming and going.

And even if treasure is found it may well prove impossible attribute it to any pirate?

Crow