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Add My StoryIn 1610, Henry Hudson managed to get backing for another voyage, this time under the English flag. At the helm of his new ship, the Discovery, Hudson stayed to the north (some claim he deliberately stayed too far south on his Dutch-funded voyage), reaching Iceland on 11 May, the south of Greenland on 4 June, and then rounding the southern tip of Greenland.
On 25 June, the explorers reached what is now the the northern tip of Labrador. Following the southern coast of the strait on 2 August, the ship entered Hudson Bay. Excitement was very high due to the expectation that the ship had finally found the Northwest Passage through the continent. Hudson spent the following months mapping and exploring its eastern shores, but he and his crew did not find a passage to Asia. In November, however, the ship became trapped in the ice in the James Bay, and the crew moved ashore for the winter.
Mutiny
When the ice cleared in the spring of 1611, Hudson planned to use his Discovery to further explore Hudson Bay with the continuing goal of discovering the Passage; however, most of the members of his crew ardently desired to return home. Matters came to a head and much of the crew mutinied in June.
Descriptions of the successful mutiny are one-sided, because the only survivors who could tell their story were the mutineers and those who went along with the mutiny. Allegedly in the latter class was ship’s navigator Abacuk Pricket, a survivor who kept a journal that was to become a key source for the narrative of the mutiny. According to Pricket, the leaders of the mutiny were Henry Greene and Robert Juet. Pricket’s narrative tells how the mutineers set Hudson, his teenage son John, and seven crewmen—men who were either sick and infirm or loyal to Hudson—adrift from the Discovery in a small shallop, an open boat, effectively marooning them in Hudson Bay. The Pricket journal reports that the mutineers provided the castaways with clothing, powder and shot, some pikes, an iron pot, some meal, and other miscellaneous items.
After the mutiny, Captain Hudson’s shallop broke out oars and tried to keep pace with the Discovery for some time. Pricket recalled that the mutineers finally tired of the David-Goliath pursuit and unfurled additional sails aboard the Discovery, enabling the larger vessel to leave the tiny open boat behind. Hudson and the other seven aboard the shallop were never seen again, and their fate is unknown.
Pricket’s journal and testimony have been severely criticized for bias, on two grounds. Firstly, prior to the mutiny the alleged leaders of the uprising, Greene and Juet, had been friends and loyal seamen of Captain Hudson. Secondly, Greene and Juet did not survive the return voyage to England. Pricket knew he and the other survivors of the mutiny would be tried in England for piracy, and it would have been in his interest, and the interest of the other survivors, to put together a narrative that would place the blame for the mutiny upon men who were no longer alive to defend themselves.
In any case, the Pricket narrative became the controlling story of the expedition’s disastrous end. Only 8 of the 13 mutinous crewmen survived the return voyage to Europe. They were arrested in England, and some were indeed put on trial, but no punishment was ever imposed for the mutiny. One theory holds that the survivors were considered too valuable as sources of information for it to be wise to execute them, as they had traveled to the New World and could describe sailing routes and conditions.Perhaps for this reason, they were charged with murder—of which they were acquitted—rather than mutiny, of which they likely would have been convicted and executed.
Below are excerpts from the trial:
| Trinity House MS. Transactions. 1609-1625. (24 _October_ 1611) The 9 men turned out of the ship: Henry Hudson, master. John Hudson, his son. Arnold Ladley. John King, quarter master. Michael Butt, married. Thomas Woodhoase, a mathematician, put away in great distress. Adame Moore. Philip Staff, carpenter. Syracke Fanner, married.John Williams, died on 9 October. –Ivet [Juet], died coming home.Slain: Henry Greene. William Wilson. John Thomas. Michell Peerce.Men that came home: Robart Billet, master. Abecocke Prickett, a land man put in by the Adventurers. Edward Wilson, surgeon. Francis Clemens, boteson. Adrian Motter. Bennet Mathues, a land man. Nicholas Syms, boy. Silvanus Bond, couper. After Hudson was put out, the company elected Billet as master. Abacuck Pricket, sworn, says the ship began to return about 12th June, and about the 22d or 23d, they put away the master. Greene and Wilson were employed to fish for the company, and being at sea combined to steal away the shallope, but at last resolved to take away the ship, and put the master and other important men into the shallope. He clears the now master of any foreknowledge of this complot, but they relied on Ivett’s judgment and skill. Edward Wilson, surgeon, knew nothing of the putting of the master out of the ship, till he saw him pinioned down before his cabin door. Francis Clemens, Adrian Motter and Bennet Mathues say the master was put out of the ship by the consent of all that were in health, in regard that their victualls were much wasted by him; some of those that were put away were directly against the master, and yet for safety of the rest put away with him, and all by those men that were slain principally. They all charge the master with wasting the victuals by a scuttle made out of his cabin into the hold, and it appears that he fed his favourites, as the surgeon, etc., and kept others at only ordinary allowance. All say that, to save some from starving, they were content to put away so many, and that to most of them it was utterly unknown who should go, or who tarry, but as affection or rage did guide them in that fury that were authors and executors of that plot. Instance & Prize Records. (High Court of Admiralty). Examinations, Being demaunded whether he was one of the companie of the Discovery wherof Henry Hudson was M’r for the Northwest passage saythe by vertue of his oathe that he was Surgion of the said Shipp the said voyadge. Beinge asked further whether there was not a mutynie in the said Shipp the said voyadge by some of the companie of the said Shipp against the M’r, and of the manner and occasion thereof and by whome say the that their victualls were soe scante that they had but two quartes of meale allowed to serve xxij men for a day, and that the M’r had bread and cheese and aquavite in his cabon and called some of the companie whome he favoured to eate and drinke with him in his cabon whereuppon those that had nothinge did grudge and mutynye both against the M’r and those that he gave bread and drinke unto, the begynning whereof was thus viz’t. One William Willson then Boateswayne of the said shipp but since slayne by the salvages went up to Phillipp Staffe the M’rs Mate and asked him the reason why the M’r should soe favour to give meate to some of the companie, and not the rest whoe aunswered that it was necessary that some of them should be kepte upp Whereuppon Willson went downe agayne and told one Henry Greene what the said Phillipp Staffe had said to the said Willson Whereuppon they with others consented together and agreed to pynion him the said M’r and one John Kinge whoe was Quarter M’r and put them into a shallopp and Phillipp Staffe mighte have stayed still in the shipp but he would voluntarilie goe into the said shallopp for love of the M’r uppon condition that they would give him his clothes (which he had) there was allso six more besides the other three putt into the said shallopp whoe thinkeinge that they were onely put into the shallopp to keepe the said Hudson the M’r and Kinge till the victuals were a sharinge went out willinglie but afterwards findinge that the companie in the shipp would not suffer them to come agayne into the shipp they desyred that they mighte have their cloathes and soe pte of them was delivered them, and the rest of their apparell was soulde at the mayne mast to them that would give most for them and an inventory of every mans pticuler goodes was made and their money was paid by Mr Allin Cary to their friendes heere in England and deducted out of their wages that soe boughte them when they came into England. Beinge asked whoe were the pties that consented to this mutynie saythe he knoweth not otherwise then before he hath deposed savinge he saythe by vertue of his oathe that this exãet never knewe thereof till the M’r was brought downe pynioned and sett downe before this eãxtes cabon and then this examinate looked out and asked him what he ayled and he said that he was pynioned and then this exãte would have come out of his cabon to have gotten some victualls amongest them and they that had bounde the M’r said to this exãte that yf he were well he should keepe himselfe soe and further saythe that neither did Silvanus Bond Nicholas Simmes and Frances Clements consente to this practize against the M’r of this exactes knowledge. Beinge demaunded whether he knoweth that the Hollanders have an intent to goe forthe uppon a discovery to the said Northwest passadge and whether they have anie card [chart] delivered them concerninge the said discovery saythe that this exãte for his parte never gave them anie card or knowledge of the said discovery but he hath heard saye that they intend such a voyadge and more he cannot saye savinge that some gentlemen and merchants of London that are interessed in this discovery have shewed divers cardes abroad w’ch happelie might come to some of their knowledge. Beinge asked further whither there bee a passadge throughe there he saythe that by all likeliehood there is by reason of the tyde of flood came out of the westerne ptes and the tyde of ebbe out of the easterne which may bee easely discovered yf such may bee imployed as have beene acquainted with the voyadge and knoweth the manner of the ice but in cominge backe agayne they keepinge the northerne most land aboard found little or noe ice in the passadge. Beinge asked what became of the said Hudson the M’r and the rest of the companie that were put into the shallopp saythe that they put out sayle and followed after them that were in the shipp the space of halfe an houre and when they sawe the shipp put one [on] more sayle and that they could not followe them then they putt in for the shoare and soe they lost sighte of them and never heard of them since And more he cannot depose. * * * * * * * * * * Admiralty. Oyer and Terminer. 41. About five weeks after the said ship came to Sir Dudley Digges Island. Here Grene, Wilson, Thomas, Pearse and Adrian Mouter would needs go ashore to trade with the savages, and were betrayed and set upon by the savages, and all of them sore wounded, yet recovered the boat before they died. Grene, coming into the boat, died presently. Wilson, Thomas and Pearse were taken into the ship, and died a few hours afterwards, two of them having had their bowels cut out. The blood upon the clothes brought home was the blood of these persons so wounded and slain by the savages, and no other. There was falling out between Grene and Hudson the master, and between Wilson the surgeon and Hudson, and between Staffe and Hudson, but no mutiny was in question, until of a sudden the said Grene and his consorts forced the said Hudson and the rest into the shallop, and left them in the ice. The chests of Hudson and the rest were opened, and their clothes, and such things as they had, inventoried and sold by Grene and the others, and some of the clothes were worn. Thomas Widowes was thrust out of the ship into the shallop, but whether he willed them take his keys and share his goods, to save his life, this examinate knoweth not. At the putting out of the men, the ship’s carpenter [Staffe] asked the company if they would be [wished to be] hanged, when they came to England. He does not know whether the carpenter is dead or alive, for he never saw him since he was put out into the shallop. No shot was made at Hudson or any of them nor any hurt done them, that he knows. He did not see Hudson bound, but heard that Wilson pinioned his arms, when he was put into the shallop. But, when he was in the shallop, this examinate saw him in a motley gown at liberty, and they spoke together, Hudson saying: It is that villain Ivott [Juet], that hath undone us; and he answered: No, it is Grene that hath done all this villainy. It is true that Grene, Wilson and Thomas had consultation together to turn pirates, and so he thinks they would have done, had they not been slain. There was no watchword given, but Grene, Wilson, Thomas and Bennett watched the master, when he came out of his cabin, and forced him over board into the shallop, and then they put out the rest, being sick men. He told Sir Thomas Smith the truth, as to how Hudson and the rest were turned out of the ship. He told the masters of the Trinity-house the truth of the business, but never knew or heard that the masters said they deserved to be hanged for the same. They were not victualled with rabbits or partridges before Hudson and the rest were turned into the shallop, nor after. There was no mutiny otherwise than as aforesaid, they were turned out only for want of victuals, as far as he knows. He does not know the handwriting of Thomas Widowes. He, for his part, made no means to hinder any proceedings that might have been taken against them. (Signed) ABACOOKE PERIKET. [On the same day] What is otherwise become of them be knoweth not. He says that the men went ashore (as above) to get victuals; and from their wounds the cabins, beds and clothes were made bloody. There was discontent amongst the company, but no mutiny to his knowledge, until the said Grene and his associates turned the master and the rest into the shallop. He heard of no mutiny “till overnight that Hudson and the rest were [to be] put into the shallop the next day,” and this examinate and M’r. Prickett persuaded the crew to the contrary, and Grene answered the master was resolved to overtrowe all, and therefore he and his friends would shift for themselves. Such clothes as were left behind in the ship by Hudson and his associates were sold, and worn by some of the company that wanted clothes. The ship’s carpenter never used such speeches, to his knowledge. [This seems to refer to Staffe's question, "Would they be hanged when they came to England?"] Philip Staffe, the carpenter, went into the shallop of his own accord, without any compulsion; whether he be dead or alive, or what has become of him, he knoweth not. No man, either drunk or sober, can report that Hudson and his associates were shot at after they were in the shallop, for there was no such thing done. He was under the deck, when Henry Hudson was put out of the ship, so that he saw it not, nor knoweth whether he were bound or not, but saith he heard he was pinioned. Henry Grene, and two or three others, made a motion to turn pirates, and he believes they would have done, if they had lived. He denieth that he took any ringe out of Hudson’s pocket, neither ever saw it except on his finger, nor knoweth what became of it. Such beds and clothes as were left in the ship, and not taken by Hudson and the rest into the shallop, were brought into England, because they left them behind in the ship. There was no watchword given, but Grene and the others commanded the said Hudson and the rest into the shallop, and upon that command they went. He told Sir Thomas Smith the manner how Hudson and the rest went from them, but what Sir Thomas said to their wives he knoweth not. There was no mutiny, but some discontent, amongst the company; they were not victualled with any abundance of rabbits and partridges all the voyage. He doth not know the handwriting of Widowes, nor hath he seen what he put down in writing. (Signed) ROBERT BYLETH. * * * * * Admiralty. Oyer and Terminer. 41. Henry Grene, William Wilson, John Thomas and Michael Pearse were slain on shore by the savages at Sir Dudley Digges Island, and Robert Ivett [Juet] died at sea after they were slain. Philip Staffe, the ship’s carpenter, was one of them who were put into the shallop with the master and the rest; whether he is dead or not, he knows not. The master displaced some of the crew, and put others in their room, but there was no mutiny that he knew of. Henry Hudson was pinioned, when he was put into the shallop. (With other answers as in the previous examinations.) Reproduced from Thos. Janvier’s Henry Hudson, 1909, available in its entirety from the Gutenberg Project: www.gutenberg.org/etext/13442. Source: Wikipedia |
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