| A great deal of interest is usually excited by
the Pirate John Watling, not very much is known of him, the only records are
Journals written and published by men who were with him, for example Basil
Ringrose, Lionel Wafer and William Dampier who record their exploits, copies of
their Journals can be obtained through the Public Library system, albeit by
special order. |
| These Journals prove the existence of John
Watling, it is he that is thought to have given his name to Watling Island in
the Bahamas (San Salvador), some say it was a George Watling, but I think they
are mistaken, one Pirate ancestor is quite good, but two would seem to be
pushing your luck. |
| It appears that John Watling was part of a raid
on Darien, (now-a-days modern Panama in central America), the raiders attacked
Porto Bella, marched over the isthmus, no mean feat in the 17th.century, and
attacked Santa Maria, where they captured a number of ships, one of which was
the 'Holy Trinity'. |
| After various expeditions and raids, including
an attempt on Panama Town itself under their chief, Captain Dorkin, they
eventually split up, some returning back to Jamacia and others now under the
command of a Bartholmew Sharp sailing south in the 'Holy Trinity' down the west
Pacific side of South America. |
| After several adventures they arrived at the
Islands of Juan Fernandes, (Located in the Pacific on approximately the
lattitude of Santiago in Chile).the island of Alexander Selkirk fame and the
inspiration of Daniel Defoes "Robinson Crusoe", in fact John sailed off leaving
an Indian crew member stranded and remained there four years before being
rescued, it was here that there was a disagreeement between the crew,
Bartholmew Sharp was turned out of command and 'a tough seaman John Watling
elected in his place', Pirates were if nothing else, democratic. |
| They sailed from Juan Fernandes and attacked
Arica, which is on the border of present day Chile and Peru, during this attack
John Watling was killed, unless John had family in the Bahamas the continuation
of his line is doubtful. |
| As an observation of John Watling and those who
were with him and their piracy is usually regarded that pirates were a bloody
thirsty bunch of cut throats and I have no doubt that these men could be
ruthless in their attacks on the Spanish settlements, it must be remember that
England and Spain had been at logger heads for many years, the 'Armada' attempt
of invasion of England was not so many years past, but never the less, these
men were not ordinary pirates, they were educated men, this born out by the
fact that they kept and published journals,understood navigation, were
interested in and recorded the flora and forna that they found on their
travels, one translated ancient Greek, other communicated with the Spanish in
Latin and one even worked out their Longitude by an eclipse of the sun. |
| William Dampier went on to become a famous
explorer, leaving several geographic features with his name, particulary in
Australia, Bartholmew Sharp was reinstated to command after the death of John,
but the crew split up, some sailing the ship with Sharp via Cape Horn back up
the Atlantic and others took canoes back up the coast to Panama and crossed
back over the isthmus, in either case it was a tremendous achievement for the
17th.century. |
| John must have been a man of some considerable
substance to be the leader as his peer are hardly likely to have elected him if
he had been some kind of Dim Wit. |
| Notes : - John Watling was known as the 'Pious
Pirate' as he observed the Sabbeth, to the extent he forebade gambling, etc,
throwing dice and gaming boards over the side on one occassion. |