Pirate Gold Recovered at Isles of Shoals

Bum Luck

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From: http://www.seacoastnh.com/pirate-gold-recovered-at-isles-of-shoals/?showall=1

Forget about Blackbeard, Captain Kidd and the rest. These pirates may have stopped at the Isles of Shoals. Or maybe not. Not a shred of evidence exists. But the crew of pirate John Quelch did step, very briefly, upon our the rocky Star Island. Sorry treasure hunters, the stolen Spanish gold was recovered in 1704.

The adventure begins in August of 1703 as the 80-ton brigantine Charles slipped out of Marblehead harbor. Owned by a syndicate of five influential Bostonians, the Charles was on a mission to attack French privateers, government sanctioned pirates, that were harassing British merchant ships in the North Atlantic. The owners did not know, however, that their captain, Daniel Plowman, lay dying in his bunk. Forty hours after the Charles cleared the harbor, Plowman was dead, presumably of natural causes, and buried at sea. Or was it mutiny? John Quelch, the ship’s lieutenant, took command.
The distinction between pirates and privateers, as with patriots and insurgents, is often fuzzy and depends on who is writing the history. Quelch raided enemy ships as ordered by the owners of the Charles. But instead of going north to search for French prey, he headed to South America where his crew captured as many as nine small trading vessels flying the Portuguese flag. Unfortunately for Quelch, soon after his departure from Marblehead, Portugal and England became allies in the war against France and Spain. Did he know that?

When Quelch returned to Marblehead in May of 1704, he was carrying 960 ounces of stolen gold dust and gold and silver coins, worth about $2 million today.
As soon as the Charles arrived back in port, the crew quickly took their cut and dispersed, leaving Quelch to carry the gold by horseback along the dangerous roads from Marblehead, to Beverly, Lynn, Charlestown and into the heart of Puritan Boston to settle up with his sponsors.
Quelch, by now, certainly knew he had broken the law by raiding a Portuguese ship, so he devised a "cover story". He told the owners that the gold came from Indians who discovered it in a Spanish shipwreck. But the treasure included a number of Portuguese "souvenirs" taken by the crew. The jig was up. Quelch was arrested for piracy and tossed into a bleak Boston jail. In order to curry favor with the King, Massachusetts Governor Joseph Dudley decided to make an example out of Quelch and his crewmen. Fearing the worst, a band of Quelch’s men fled to Salem. Then they hopped a boat to the rugged Isles of Shoals, a lawless fishing outpost at the turn of the 18th century. Samuel Sewall, one of the judges at the infamous Salem witch trials, took off in hot pursuit. Sewall commandeered a fishing shallop and, without cannon, managed to sneak up on the pirates at Star Island.

"Without striking a stroke or firing a gun," historian Beal tells us, Sewell convinced the pirates to surrender. They confiscated 46 ounces of gold dust, but did not search the island. Author Clifford Beal cannot resist stirring up one of the most popular Shoals legends when he writes: "But had Major Sewall recovered all of the treasure the pirates carried? Had more of it been left on Star Island, hidden or left with someone for safekeeping?"

Quelch was convicted of piracy by the Massachusetts court and sentenced to be hanged. He did did not hang alone. Twenty of his crewmen were caught and convicted and six were selected to die.


Governor Dudley ended up with a good share of the gold; not all "pirates" sailed in ships.

Was all the treasure found? There isn't a lot of dirt on the Isles, mostly rock. Later there is a story that Captain Sam Haley found four bars of silver on Smuttynose Island under a rock in 1804 and with them built a breakwater, still there.

There are also many other legends about the Isles of Shoals and buried treasure, but this one was as true as Black Sam Bellamy.

Here's a link to the book by Beal: https://books.google.com/books/abou...28C&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button
 

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Now that's some good reading Bum Luck !! Thanks.
 

I didn't know about this one, but if I were in the NE, I'd look into finding any leftovers.

I think there's a chance, so have at it someone!
 

I didn't know about this one, but if I were in the NE, I'd look into finding any leftovers.

I think there's a chance, so have at it someone!

The island is privately owned by a church trust they have conferences and other programs there and you can book a cabin for overnight stays or even go there by ferry as day trip . However the island is protected historical site.

Kanacki
 

The island is privately owned by a church trust they have conferences and other programs there and you can book a cabin for overnight stays or even go there by ferry as day trip . However the island is protected historical site.

Kanacki

Everywhere is a "historical site".

Pretty much if you are walking on ground... something happened on that ground before you.

heh
 

Hello AARC

Ironic but true.

Kanacki
 

Everywhere is a "historical site".

Pretty much if you are walking on ground... something happened on that ground before you.

heh

Copper pennies lost on a beach are now "historic", being over 50 years old.

If we dig around looking for spider jaws, cockroach shells, and mouse toenails? We'd need an archaeologist to tell us.

Some of them are even historic.
 

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Smuttynose Island might be worth searching rather than star island. Since we have claim that silver bars was found when constructing the break wall from Smuttynose Island to Star island. Maybe in cracks and crevices and under flat rocks on the shore might yield small caches hidden from the crew?

Kanacki
 

Hi, I'm a dowser from Zaragoza, Spain. I have information on where to look for silver coins and silver bars on the Smuttynose islands (and others). The terrain is rocky, but I will point you quite precisely where to look. I work with Google earth. If you are interested contact me. My share is 25%.
 

B2N, I’m curious how you “dowse” an island off the Maine coast from all the way over in Spain. Are you pointing metal or wooden rods at the Google Earth website on your computer screen ?
 

B2N, I’m curious how you “dowse” an island off the Maine coast from all the way over in Spain. Are you pointing metal or wooden rods at the Google Earth website on your computer screen ?

In Europe, this is called radiesthesie. I use a pendulum of 24 carat gold or silver. I also use a 24k gold or silver witness (sample). The rest is Psychic Power and Google Earth. There is nothing mystical. It's all physics. But few people can do it. I have two localized treasures, one lost gold bracelet and hidden US dollars.
 

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so here you go
B61-12

image
 

:laughing7:

Kanacki
 

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plenty of B61s in the EU, have fun

edit: I believe Spain is also storing these sweeties - you can tell us where ?
yes, it is known, but good practice for your locating
 

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Getting back to the story I do not think the possible return to be viable enough for the effort. Perhaps a nice day trip for a local on the mainland but not much else.

Kanacki
 

Or a passing sailor with access to a good tender and some free time to look.
 

Or a passing sailor with access to a good tender and some free time to look.

Yeah i could see a little day trip if passing by. Depending on weather of course.

Kanacki
 

Been to star island once....all those islands are very interesting....lots of history there.Screenshot_20200207-081316_Maps.jpg
Screenshot_20200207-081301_Maps.jpg
Might have a chance this summer....if the stars align right. Well see where the summer winds take me this year ??
 

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