34 SOME DORSET PRIVATEERS. 



ships or merchandise to the Admiral, then this bond to be of no effect. Signed 

 in the presence of Henry Russell, mayor, and Giles Greene, comrs. at Woy- 

 mouth. A second bond provides that prizes shall be brought to a British 

 port, and that bulk shall not be broken until after adjudication. 



These two examples will serve to show the preliminary 

 procedure. 



Another enterprising owner, John Freke, obtained in 1626 

 both Letters of Reprisal and a commission to take pirates 

 for his vessel, the Leopard, of Weymouth (240 tons), the largest 

 of the Dorset swarm of hornets which were turned loose by 

 Charles I. This fine ship was built at her port of registration, 

 and was armed with 16 sacres, i.e., small cannon, and four 

 mynyons of cast iron ordnance, as appears in her Trinity 

 House certificate.* 



She was commanded by Nicholas Strangways and her 

 builder Nich. Audney sailed as master. Two years later the 

 Leopard was transferred to Poole and recommissioned for 

 another cruise, which ended in disaster, as she was wrecked 

 on the Irish coast in 1628 with the loss of most of her 

 guns. 



What happened to these cruisers, which, singly or in pairs, 

 roved the Channel and the Bay as far as the Mediterranean ? 

 Very little is known as to how many of them were captured 

 or lost at sea, but at least one Weymouth ship, the Willing 

 Mind, was " sunk by enemies." On the other hand there is 

 some evidence that certain vessels returned in safety to the 

 ways of peace ; for instance, the privateers Harry and John and 

 Speedwell, of Weymouth, were probably identical with two 

 ships of the same names and town which were exempted 

 in 1635 from visits by naval press gangs, being then engaged 

 in the less exciting task of carrying Portland stone for the 

 repair of St. Paul's Cathedral. 



Chief among the commanders who survived the expeditions 

 was the old freebooter, John Lockier, who ended his active 



* An undertaking had to bo given that the weapons authorised by these 

 certificate* would not bo alienated outside the realm. 



