Privateers' passport trick backfires

Passport trick backfires

By A C Saunders

The Jersey privateers were very wide awake and they adopted many ruses in order to gain their ends. One of their favourite methods was to sail with two passports on board, so that the most suitable could be available when such documents had to be shown.

A Jersey barque with a cargo of corn was captured by pirates from the Bay of Biscay. The master had on board two passports, one a Jersey one, suitable to present if captured by Dunkirk or Biscayan pirates, the other a French passport, suitable for use if the vessel were captured by a Parliamentarian vessel. Therefore the captain made no fuss when the Biscayan pirate came aboard his vessel, but before he could produce the proper passport, the Biscayans searched the vessel and unfortunately found the French passport.

They were very angry with the Jerseymen for trying to impose upon their credulity. After beating, and otherwise ill treating the crew, they landed them in Brittany and took the vessel to Spain. The crew managed to return to Jersey and went to lodge their troubles before theBailiff, only to be told that they ought to have had sense enough to hide their French passport better " so it served them right to lose their ship and it would teach them to be more careful in future" .