The Outlawing of Richard Clarke

Richard Clarke, “Pirate” of South River

Richard Clark 1707-

South River & the Lost Town of London

Moses Rawlings

Rawlings of Maryland

Disposition of the deponents, and An Act for the Outlawing of Richard Clark of Ann Arundell County

1. May the 18, 1705.:

Papers and Depositions relating to Richard Clark sent to the House.
By the Govr and Councill in Assembly. May the 18, 1705.  Gentn   The Severall papers herewith sent will Serve to acquaint Your House what Disturbance has been given the County by the means of Richard Clark of Ann Arundel County and his Accomplices with their horrid Projects and Treasonable Contrivances, Which wee desire you will maturely Consider and Advise how to prevent & Secure the Province from such Disturbances and future Injurys so long Carryed on and so plainly threaten'd .Signed p order W Biaden Cl Council(1)

2. May 19th 1705:

The Upper House.(p 451): Whereas it Appears to this house that there has been a Treasonable Combination between Richard Clark of Ann Arundell County and divers other evil prsons to draw down the Indians upon the Inhabitants of this Province and to Levy Warr agt her Majestys Governour & Government It is Resolved therefore by this house that her MatYs Attorney Genll do forthwith prosecute the said Clark and all others his Accomplices for the said Crimes to the uttmost Extent of the Law and the said Attorney is Directed to do the same Accordingly

Likewise in the H of Dels. In both houses, resolutions are passed:
1. Atty Gen is to Prosecute Clark & Accomplices
2. that this house will Enter into Examination what Magazine Stores has been provided and Sett apart for the publiq use & defence of this Province during the time that Col Blakiston was Govr how and what is become of it &c. (This resolution may be prompted by suspision of the Beards, who have been in charge of the magazine)

Delegates thank Board and Gov., mentioning disturbances from Indians and a hard winter: : the many repeated Disturbances of Our peace as well by the Indians as other Ill disposed persons and particularly of the many Great Difficultys yr Exncys unwearied Diligence with so much prudence has lately gone through without Obliging us in so unseasonable and hard a Winter


[From: 514 Assembly Proceedings, May 15-25, 1705.]

May 23d 1705 The Councill:

Benjamin Gather testifies before the Council, in answer to warrant, about events occurring in March.

Charles Steevens Servant to Dr Robt Hooper testifies in answer to a summons, about events occurring in the fall of ‘04, concerning the jail break of Benj. Celie., planned and instigated by Richard Clark’s mother, Mrs. Rachell Freeborn , using a slave/servant Humphrey, who was a smith:: “ Sarah Freeborne on Monday last told this Deponent that Mrs Rachell Freeborne told old Mrs Story and Mrs Rebeccah Nicholson that she Asked Humphrey if he Could not Contrive a way to let the Prisoners out and Humphrey answered Lord Mistress No I canot do it it's a hanging matter to Which she Replyed No can't you do it you are a Smith and have Files to gett their Irons of and may do it that no body may know it. It will be a means for you to gett Ridd of your Slavery for Celie and Richard Clarke know all the Country over.
This Deponent veryly believes Mrs Rachel Freeborne Advised Humphery to let out the Prisoners for that before the Prison was Broke She said in his hearing It was pitty Celie should be in Prison so long. And ffurther Humphery told him she was very kind to him in sending or Carrying him Drachms of the Bottle more than usuall.”

May 23, 1705: Humphery Hernaman and Rachell Beard Freeborn have been jailed, and the Council instructs the House concerning his evidence:

The Declarations of Humphery Hernaman & John Dawlin sent to the house with the above Message:

Whereas Humphery Hernaman is a principall Evidence agt Mrs Rachell Freeborne now Comitted by Aiding and Assisting her son Richard Clarke in his Traiterous Practices & Assisting Benja Celie to Break the prison wee have Thought proper to Advertise you thereof and that we do not think Adviseable the said Hernamans Evidence not fortified with any Concurrent Testimonys should be Rendered invalid
Signed p order W Bladen Cl Council.


May 25, 1705:
The Upper House. Journal. 471
Among the legislation passed:
An Act for the Out Lawing of Richard Clark of Ann Arundell County
An Act for the Exportation & Banishmt of Benjamin Celie

....After wch his Exncy the Governour was pleased to Prorogue the Generall Assembly of this Province till the 24th of Iuly next.

May the 25 1705 :
An Act for the Outlawing of Richard Clark of Ann Arundell County. signed into law by Gov. Seymour.
 
“a very wicked and treasonable conspiracy begun and carryed on by Richard Clark of Ann Arundell County and his accomplices to Seize upon the Magazine and upon his Excellency the Governour and overturn her Majesties Government and to bring the heathen Indians together with the said Conspirators to Cutt off and Extirpate the Inhabitants of this Province and for as much as the said Clark flyes from Justice and Dares not Venture himself upon a faire tryall.

Be it therefore Enacted by the Queens most Excellent Maty by and with the advice and Consent of her MajtiesGovernour Councill and Assembly of this Province and the Authority of the same that unless the said Richard Clark do within twenty days after the End of this Present Session of Assembly Surrender himself to his Excy the Governour or to any one of her Majesties honble Councill in ordr to be tryed for his treason atd that then the said Richard Clark by force and virtueof this Act shall be Outlawed and shall forfeit his goods and Chattells Lands and tenements as an out lawed Pson any want of Processe or any Other legall proceedings in any wise notwithstanding.”

signed by Gov. Seymour, May 25, 1705


Att a Councill held Friday June 29th 1705

Edward Mariarte being called in is told that Thô he has not performed what he promised in takeing Richard Clarke but in reguard to his Excellency [sic] Word  It is Ordered he be not further prosecuted for letting Clarke  have horse & boate.

Pirates on the Chesapeake: Virginia, 1705 (page 167)

“In the late summer of 1705 five men outlawed in Maryland on charges of high treason seized the West River sloop Little Hannah and were ‘suspected to be going on a Pyratical design’ The villains included one Thomas Sparrow; a Philadelphia mariner named John Stapes; John Taylor, described as a tall, thin brown man; a flaxen-haired youth of middle stature and clean complexion called Sterritt. The leader of the band was a notorious desperado named Richard Clark from the South River region of Anne Arundel County.”




Maryland archival records to follow indicate that after his escape from Maryland in 1705, Richard Clarke was said to have made his way to the Neuse River area in North Carolina.[1]  Donald G. Shomatte in Pirates on the Chesapeake, states that “In the late summer of 1705 five men outlawed in Maryland on charges of high treason seized the West River sloop ‘Little Hannah’ and were ‘suspected to be going on a Pyratical design’ The villains included one Thomas Sparrow; a Philadelphia mariner named John Stapes; John Taylor, described as a tall, thin brown man; a flaxen-haired youth of middle stature and clean complexion called Sterritt. The leader of the band was a notorious desperado named Richard Clark from the South River region of Anne Arundel County.”

The rumor mill back in Anne Arundel County claimed that when Clarke reached Carolina he obtained 600 acres of land and passed himself off as a respectable merchant in the Neuse River area of North Carolina. Testimony in this article shows that Clarke’s accomplice, Welles, was directed by him to meet a certain Captain Smith on the Neuse River. Another link to this area is Thomas Sparrow, who helped Clarke escape on the “Little Hanna.” He is almost certainly the same Thomas Sparrow, merchant of Maryland, who appeared on many deeds and other records in the area starting in September 1706.[2] [3] In 1705, the year Clarke fled to North Carolina, Thomas Sparrow, who had recently become a widower, leased two Anne Arundel tracks (690 acre), "Sparrow Rest" and "Sparrow’s Addition," for a term of 15 years to kinsmen William Cole and to Daniel Richardson[4] They were asked to provide Thomas Sparrow's two children, Thomas and Solomon “with meat, drink, cloathes, lodging, and shall cause children to be educated in such school learning as can conveniently be procured in the province of Maryland.” It certainly sounds like Sparrow was planning to be away for a long time…say in North Carolina. In 1719, upon his death, Thomas Sparrow willed his Neuse River properties to these same sons[5] --fv schultz


[1]This area is near present day Morehead City, New Bern and Beaufort. In the early 1700’s it was fertile ground for privateering and often frequented by Black Beard.

[2]Beaufort County, NC - Land & Deed Records. Beaufort County Deed Book – Book 1 - part 1, page 112, 129, 147.

[3]"History of Beaufort County" quoted by Bill Sparrow: ollie1@erols.com -3/11/98

[4]On October 21, 1701 Anne Arundel Co. Records indicate that William Cole gave “ to my cousin Solomon Sparrow son of my brother Thos. Sparrow and Saphia his wife one cow.” Thomas Sparrow was married to Sappharia Richardson (daughter of William Richardson and Elizabeth Ewen.

[5]Descendants of Thomas Sparrow:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~mdannear/firstfam/sparrow/fowsrc.htm


(1) On that same day, in the afternoon, a publication from St. Mary’s County warning protestants of a “Wicked Contrivance of Darnall & the Popish Priests in their agreeing with the French and other heathens to destroy You all “, and accusing the governor of being controlled by Darnall, despite the passage by the assembly “against the popish priests” is sent to the Assembly with a request that the publisher be charged with slander against the governor. This may be politically relevant to Richard Clarke’s prosecution, in that he is charged with plotting to bring down the Indians on the inhabitants of Maryland-- a charge which is made typically, throughout Maryland history, against the Catholics. It is possible that a political or family allegiance to the Darnalls, and the Quaker alliance with Calvert, has caused the Assembly and the Governor to exagerate the case against Clarke:

Ordered that the Libel against his Exncy be sent to the House which is accordingly sent by Mr Tench Mr Smith Coll Hamond Coll Jenkins Coll Ennalls & Mr Coursey as follows viz. The Upper House. (page 447)

By his Exncy the Govr and Councill in Assembly Original
May the 18th, 1705

“To the protestants of Maryland
My friends

I have thought fitt to Advise You to take Care in time to Defend Yourselves from that Wicked Contrivance of Darnall & the Popish Priests in their agreeing with the French and other heathens to destroy You all . The Proceedings of Maryland are Easily brought to us over Potowmack River can any people think that the Queen sent a Governour amongst you to be Ruled by Darnall or any other Papists We hear that an Act of Assembly was made agt the Popish Priests to blind the people but how long was it before they had their Liberty and the Protestant Ministers silenced, have a Care of a Popish Plott least you have Cause to Repent when it is too late this from a friend is all att present.”


The above is a Copy of a Scandalous Seditious Libell published in St Mary's County to the great dissatisfaction of her Matys Loyal Good Subjects but more especially with a Milicious Intent to render the Administrations of the Govermnt here odious and suspected You cannot but Remember that what was done in Order to checquing & Restraining the Extravagancys of the Popish Priests Came first from Your house and had the Ready Assent of his Exncy & this Board so likewise what was done last Sessions in Suspending the Execution thereof for i8 months was first moved in your House and Represented by You as Reasonable to this Board wherefore wee doubt not your Candour in publiqly Resenting so Base and unjust an Abuse and Calumny of his EXDCY & This Boarde as by the said Libell is Offered agt them. Signed p Order W Bladen Cl Counli

Maryland Archivists, in their preface to Volume 27, Proceedings and Acts of the General Assembly of Maryland March 26, 1707- November 4, 1710, comment on the Richard Clarke case, (Preface, Page 9), and on the excessive alarm and prosecutorial extremes that his activities seem to have generated:

“The proceedings in the case of Richard Clarke, attainted for various heinous acts or designs, such as counterfeiting, piracy, and blowing up the port of Annapolis, show symptoms of a degree of alarm which at present seems rather excessive. But that business can be better studied in the Council Journals.”

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