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papaya2000s · 19 days ago

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Ensign O'Toole

This section presents episodes 13 to 32 of the US television series Ensign O'Toole, which was broadcast from 1962 to 1963 and featured numerous notable guest appearances during its run. In part i talk about the Summary & Ep 1-12.

Episode 13 - "Operation: Gaslight," was directed by Lawrence Dobkin and penned by James Allardice and Tom Adair, premiering on December 16, 1962.

In this episode, Ensign Clifford Bender, a newly minted graduate from the United States Naval Academy, joins the crew of the Appleby, his inaugural assignment. Eager to adhere to regulations, Bender's arrival prompts the crew to prepare for his presence. However, O'Toole takes it upon himself to ensure that Bender undergoes a traditional initiation into naval life, attempting to persuade him that he is afflicted with an unusual maritime illness. The episode features guest appearances by Jamie Farr and Steve Franken.

Episode 14 - "Operation: Brooklyn," was directed by Jackie Cooper and penned by Jack Raymond, premiering on December 23, 1962.

In this episode, Seaman Di Julio expresses his inability to re-enlist, citing a promise made to his parents to manage their restaurant in Brooklyn, New York, allowing them to retire. However, O'Toole uncovers that Di Julio is reluctant to leave the navy, and his parents are equally unwilling to part with their restaurant. The episode features guest appearances by Penny Santon, Joe Higgens, Les Brown, Jr., Bob Hull, and Romo Vincent.

Episode 15 - "Operation: Swindle," was directed by Hy Averback and features a script by Bill Davenport, Charles Tannen, and William J. Lederer, premiering on December 30, 1962.

In this episode, Chief Petty Officer Nelson becomes infatuated with a Southern woman named Leona, who deceives him into losing his money. In response to this situation, O'Toole takes action to address the swindle. The episode includes guest appearances by Rosemary De Camp, Charles Watts, and Dub Taylor.

Episode 16 - "Operation: Treasure," directed by Lawrence Dobkin and penned by Bill Davenport and Charles Tannen, premiered on January 6, 1963.

In this episode, Seaman White discovers a drifting bottle that holds an enigmatic map, prompting O'Toole to speculate that it may point to hidden treasure. The episode features guest appearances by Shary Marshall and Michael Ross.

Episode 17 - "Operation: Intrigue," was directed by Don Taylor and penned by Sheldon Keller and Howard Merrill, airing on January 13, 1963.

In this episode, O'Toole, while accompanying the Appleby family in Hong Kong, learns that Scotland Yard is pursuing a group of jewel thieves. Intrigued by the situation, he opts to assist by going undercover as a courier for the criminals, which leads him into encounters with a jewel smuggler and some dubious tailors. The episode features guest appearances by Robert Emhardt, Howard Morris, Bernard Fox, Chana Eden, Philip Ahn, James Hong, and Harold Fong.

Episode 18 - "Operation: Psychology," directed by Don Taylor and penned by Bill Davenport and Charles Tannen, aired on January 20, 1963.

In this episode, Lieutenant Commander Stoner's brother-in-law, psychologist Arthur Ainsley, comes aboard the Appleby and notes an unusual level of cheerfulness among the crew. However, he deduces that this apparent happiness masks a profound underlying depression among the crew members. The episode features guest star John McGiver.

Episode 19 - "Operation: Royalty," directed by Jeffrey Hayden and penned by William J. Lederer, premiered on January 27, 1963.

In this episode, O'Toole extends an invitation to the Grand Admiral of the Navy of Tiboria, a 12-year-old named Prince Pussik, to come aboard the Appleby. However, O'Toole soon finds himself regretting this decision as he realizes that the young prince has a penchant for issuing commands. The episode features guest appearances by Michael Davis and Lou Krugman.

Episode 20 - "Operation: Whodunit," was directed by Richard Kinon and penned by Sheldon Keller and Howard Merrill, airing on February 3, 1963.

In this episode, the crew of the Appleby is engrossed in a film centered on the murder of Lord Mumbley, having placed significant bets on the identity of the killer. However, when they realize that the final reel of the film is missing, they embark on a frantic quest to uncover the murderer’s identity. The episode features guest appearances by Alan Caillou, Davis Roberts, John Tarangelo, and Kelly Gordon.

Episode 21 - "Operation: Casanova," was directed by Richard Kinon and penned by Howard Leeds, airing on February 10, 1963.

In this episode, O'Toole aims to elevate the spirits of Lieutenant (junior grade) St. John by facilitating his interaction with several appealing WAVES. The situation initially unfolds positively until St. John finds himself in a compromising position, kissing the daughter of a U.S. congressman. The episode features guest appearances by Nancy Rennick, Carol Christensen, Cindy Robbons, Jacqueline Loughery, Ransom Sherman, and Jackie Joseph.

Episode 20 - "Operation: Whodunit," was directed by Richard Kinon and penned by Sheldon Keller and Howard Merrill, airing on February 3, 1963.

In this episode the crew of the Appleby is engrossed in a film—a murder mystery cantered on the assassination of Lord Mumbley—and they have placed significant bets on the identity of the killer. When they realize that the final reel of the movie is absent, they embark on a frantic quest to locate it. Guest appearances include Alan Caillou, Davis Roberts, John Tarangelo, and Kelly Gordon.

Episode 21 - "Operation: Casanova," was directed by Richard Kinon and penned by Howard Leeds, airing on February 10, 1963.

In this episode, O'Toole aims to elevate Lieutenant (junior grade) St. John's diminished self-esteem by facilitating his interaction with several appealing WAVES. The situation unfolds positively until St. John is unexpectedly discovered kissing the daughter of a United States congressman. The episode features guest appearances by Nancy Rennick, Carol Christensen, Cindy Robbons, Jacqueline Loughery, Ransom Sherman, and Jackie Joseph.

Episode 22 - "Operation: Souvenir," was directed by Richard Kinon and written by Bill Davenport and Charles Tannen, airing on February 17, 1963.

In this episode during a shore leave in Japan, Lieutenant Commander Stoner enforces strict regulations on his crew, prohibiting them from bringing back any souvenirs that cannot fit into a footlocker. This creates a dilemma for Lieutenant (junior grade) St. John, who has secretly acquired an antique Japanese cannon for his girlfriend and must devise a plan to conceal it from Stoner. The episode features guest appearances by Don Beddoe and Alan Reed, Jr.

Episode 23 - "Operation: Arrivederci," was directed by Richard Kinon and features a screenplay by Bill Sheldon Keller, Howard Merrill, and William J. Lederer, airing on March 3, 1963.

In this episode during the Appleby's visit to Rome, O'Toole becomes enamoured with Juliet Scarlatti, an aspiring American artist. He offers her the use of the Appleby for an art exhibition, hoping to connect her with influential figures in the Italian art scene; however, the key attendee, prominent society figure Mrs. Atherton, declines to participate. The episode features guest appearances by Sharon Hugveny, Doris Packer, and Émile Genest.

Episode 24 - "Operation: Re-Enlist," was directed by Lawrence Dobkin and written by Bill Davenport, Charles Tannen, and William J. Lederer, airing on March 10, 1963.

In this episode, Lieutenant Commander Stoner is tasked with ensuring that the crew of the Appleby re-enlists in the Navy. Following O'Toole's suggestion, Stoner adopts a more amiable demeanour to motivate the crew, which leads to confusion among them. During a gathering at Stoner's residence, Seaman Di Julio inadvertently dislodges a brick from the fireplace, resulting in the collapse of Stoner's home, necessitating the crew's assistance in its reconstruction.

Episode 25 - "Operation: Boxer," was directed by Richard Kinon and features a script by Bill Davenport, Charles Tannen, and William J. Lederer, airing on March 17, 1963.

In this episode, due to DeJulio's inexperience with the signal lamp, O'Toole proposes a "boxling" match, a twist on bowling, against another ship's crew. Historically, O'Toole has consistently lost bets to Ensign Baxter regarding bowling contests between their respective crews. However, he believes he has discovered a strategy to secure a victory by wagering on a boxing match, enlisting a formidable sailor to compete against Baxter's favoured boxer. The episode features guest appearances by Gary Crosby, Roger Torrey, and Cal Bolder.

Episode 26 - "Operation: Stowaway," was directed and written by James Komack, alongside Bill Davenport and Charles Tannen, and it airing on March 24, 1963.

In this episode, while docked at a Soviet port, the crew of the Appleby initially dismisses O'Toole's claims of seeing a lovely girl through a porthole as a symptom of combat fatigue. However, they soon discover that the girl is actually a stowaway named Anna. Enchanted by her presence, the crew decides to create a party dress for her using flags, tablecloths, and various materials available on the ship. Nita Talbot guest stars in this episode.

Episode 27 - "Operation: Arctic," was directed by Hy Averback and penned by Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum, airing on March 31, 1963.

In this episode the crew experiences restlessness as their journey to the Arctic aboard the Appleby becomes monotonous in the extreme cold. Martin Dean guest stars in this episode.

Episode 28 - "Operation: Physical," was directed by Richard Kinon and features a script by Howard Leeds, Bill Davenport, and Charles Tannen, airing on April 7, 1963.

In this episode Lieutenant Commander Stoner grapples with feelings of nostalgia for his youth and worries about his ability to pass an upcoming physical examination. In an effort to alleviate Stoner's concerns, O'Toole arranges for some of Stoner's former classmates to visit the Appleby, hoping their appearance will make Stoner seem less aged by comparison. However, O'Toole's and the crew's well-intentioned efforts to assist Stoner do not unfold as expected.

Episode 29 - "Operation: Tubby," was directed by Bob Claver and features a script by Sheldon Keller, Howard Merrill, and Bill Davenport, airing on April 14, 1963.

In this episode, Seaman "Tubby" Mason faces the ultimatum of losing weight or facing expulsion from the Navy, prompting him to embark on an extreme diet. However, O'Toole discovers that Tubby's letters are stuffed with luncheon meat and his toothpaste tube is filled with liverwurst. The episode features guest star Stubby Kaye.

Episode 30 - "Operation: Sabotage," was directed by Richard Kinon and written by James B. Allardice, Tom Adair, and Bill Davenport, airing on April 21, 1963.

In this episode, during training exercises, the Appleby is designated as the target for a simulated sabotage operation, orchestrated by a crew member covertly tasked with "destroying" the ship. Lieutenant Commander Stoner boasts that the scheme is doomed to fail, supporting his claim with a substantial wager. He orchestrates a fake sabotage incident and subsequently dares the crew to identify the "saboteur," prompting O'Toole to devise an ingenious solution, as is his custom.

Episode 31 - "Operation: Contest," was directed by Richard Kinon and features a script by Bill Davenport, Charles Tannen, and William J. Lederer, airing on April 28, 1963.

In this episode the crew of the Appleby finds themselves in quarantine, missing their shore leave in Hollywood after Seaman Di Julio has an accident with a tanning lamp and is diagnosed with measles. To occupy their time, they decide to participate in various contests for prize money, including a jingle-writing competition, which Di Julio ultimately wins. Additionally, they are invited to a cooking contest due to Lieutenant (junior grade) St. John’s mother's cookie recipe. However, they encounter a competitor who claims financial hardship and, out of compassion, allow her to win. Later, they learn that she had cheated and is participating in another contest. Guest star: Irene Tedrow.

Episode 32 - "Operation: Geisha," was directed by Richard Kinon and features a screenplay by Ben Starr, Robert O'Brien, and Bill Davenport. It originally aired on May 5, 1963, marking the series finale.

In this episode, con artists Steve Turner and Al Shrieber are compelled to return stolen funds to an angry victim in order to establish a reverse geisha house. Meanwhile, a friend of Lieutenant (junior grade) St. John proposes a new business venture, which O'Toole successfully persuades local entrepreneurs to support. The episode includes guest appearances by Jack Carter, Eddie Ryder, Ransom Sherman, and Linda Bennett.

Episode information & Title scene links:

https://www.tptvencore.co.uk/search/Ensign%20O'Toole

#history #US TV Series #Ensign O'Toole #The Kim Sisters #Kim Sisters #Youtube #60s

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roskirambles · 3 months ago

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Horror(?) Movie of the day: Jaws (1975)

Amity Island, a humble tourist resort in New England, is busy during the summer as its beaches are full yet again. That is, until one night a young woman called Chrissie Watkins is mysteriously killed in the water, her mangled remains washed ashore by the morning. It's concluded it was a shark attack, which means the beaches got to be closed. But when Police chief Martin Brody is forced to reopen them by the mayor after a local fisherman catches the wrong animal, a second attack on a kid called Alex Kintner takes place. Finally seeing the gravity of the threat, a team is formed to hunt down the man-eating creature: Brody himself, marine biologist Matt Hooper and a mysterious seaman referred as Quint embark on the Orca, doing their best to get along if they plan to succeed on their quest. Or even get out alive.

Based on Peter Benchley's eponymous 1974 novel, this is pretty much the perfect creature film: the use of cinematographic techniques to tell the story it wants to is pretty much flawless. With a masterful use of blocking and almost surgically precise pacing, even this short of 50 years later the film is still a breeze to watch. It makes some extensive changes from the novel too; making the characters infinitely more likable and bounce from each other in delightful ways, with Quint’s character stealing the show thanks to a stellar performance by the late Robert Shaw.

And then there’s John Williams' iconic ostinato of death. Taking a page from Bernard Hermann, it hammers in the anxiety of seeing the attacks from the point of view of the creature, making the audience feel like prey against this obscured menace. At least until those brief moments where you see it above the surface, which have aged the worst since the mechanical shark looks as real as its behavior is accurate to the real thing. Even with this little mishap tho, it's no wonder it put Spielberg's name on the map as the first true summer blockbuster.

Now, there’s a few obligatory talking points about this movie starting with the obvious one: It’s depiction of sharks as violent man eaters has had a devastating effect on the reputation of these animals that only now is seeing some form of push back (even if Benchley himself regretted writing the novel and dedicated his life to undo the effect upon learning about the animals further). The events of the book were inspired by the real-life shark attacks on Jersey Shore in 1916, as well as the mass attack on the USS Indianapolis’ wreckage in 1945 (which is referenced in the film itself). It has to be said these were indeed fairly violent incidents and led to multiple human deaths. And yet, the attack rate of sharks on humans is incredibly low with less than 100 yearly worldwide reported incidents, as they’re generally timid creatures. For comparison, dog attacks in USA alone surpass 2000 yearly reported incidents with ease. Worse yet, shark attacks are rarely predatory. While that was actually the case for the Indianapolis incident (since a lot of humans scattered in deep water made for easy pickings to hungry animals), most of the reported bites are exploratory. We’re talking about creatures with poor eyesight and no hands, so biting is a fairly common mechanism to investigate for them and many attacks on humans are effectively curious sharks just… experimenting on something they haven’t seen. More so, in certain circumstances wild sharks can be outright friendly to humans. I think it goes without saying the antagonism from the general public is unwarranted, and the damage done to their populations more than unfortunate. After all, when we enter the sea, we’re the actual invaders in their turf.

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The second obvious talking point has to be the troubled production. To put it bluntly, almost everything that could’ve gone wrong went wrong in spectacular fashion. In fact, part of the brilliance of Jaws is the result of Spielberg having to work around Bruce (the nickname given to one of the three mechanical sharks used in the film, as well as the namesake of the shark in Finding Nemo for obvious reasons). Why? Well, the damn thing kept breaking down and simply didn’t work as intended even in the shots where it was partially operational. Turns out they made it for fresh water, and believe it or not, salt in water makes a world of difference. Save for the scenes were it was absolutely vital to have it on camera, they instead had the music and some underwater photography imply the action and rank the suspense up to 11. And yes, the fact salt water was a problem is due to a young, naive Steven Spielberg insisting to actually film on the ocean instead of a water tank because he thought it’d give authenticity to the movie. I cannot begin to tell you the multiple ways this is an incredibly bad and stupid idea, but they paid the price by facing broken equipment, camera problems, a sunk mechanical shark and even a sunk boat with all the film reels that they BARELY managed to salvage. It was so bad the team internally called the production “Flaws”, amidst disgruntled, tired actors, a dangerously ballooning budget, and being over schedule by seven months. In a nutshell, it was nothing short of a career ending disaster... or at least would have been had the movie not been as obscenely successful as it was. I wasn’t remotely exaggerating when I called it the first true summer blockbuster. It’s the movie that set the trend for studios to chase, which was later consolidated by Star Wars. But boy, was it a pain and a half to get there.

Lastly, a rather byzantine debate. You might have noted that little question mark in the header title. It’s there for a reason, mind you, as an awkward question lingers in the air: is Jaws actually a horror film? I’m not trying to be facetious here; this is genuinely a decades long ongoing debate. It undoubtedly has been spoken extensively in horror movie circles as most people would agree one of the goals of the movie (in which it succeeds spectacularly) is to elicit a negative emotional response of fright from the audience. And yet, in most movie sites and sources like Wikipedia it’s actually classified as a thriller, and the core narrative dynamic makes it equally close to an adventure film where a group of intrepid people go on the hunt of a dangerous monster. In a way, it speaks about the rather flimsy nature of genres as a tool to classify fiction, but either response carries interesting implications. If it isn’t a horror movie, what does that tells us about the thriller genre? What is the line between feeling exciting suspense and horrifying helplessness? On the other hand, if it is, what does it say that the first Summer blockbuster is a horror film? Because, on a similar note, The Exorcist was a notoriously viral film just two years prior so it certainly would speak about the importance and desire for the genre among not just a niche but the mass audiences. You be the judge of that, but it’s for sure a fascinating aspect of a film that already brings forward lots of things to talk about.

#horror movies #adventure movies #thriller movies #halloween movie #jaws #steven spielberg #peter benchley #roy scheider #robert shaw #richard dreyfuss #lorraine gary #murray hamilton #john williams #shark #edgar wright #Youtube

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radimus-co-uk · 6 years ago

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Bernard Seaman

#Bernard Seaman

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scotianostra · 2 years ago

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Happy 55th Birthday singer-songwriter Sharleen Spiteri, born in Glasgow, November 7th 1967.

Born to Eddie, a guitar-playing merchant seaman, and mother Vilma, a singing window-dresser. Spiteri is of French, Maltese, Italian, Irish and German descent. When she was young the family moved from the Glaswegian suburbs to nearby Balloch, close to the banks of Loch Lomond. At school (Vale of Leven Academy) her nickname was ‘Spit the Dog’, after the character on the TV show Tiswas. Sharleen was a hairdresser in Muirhead, North Lanarkshire, until Texas became her sole priority in 1988.

Spiteri began her musical career with Texas in 1986 as lead singer and guitarist. She would continue her work with the band throughout the ‘90s, as well as appearing as a vocalist on albums by Gun and Rammstein.

After the release of Texas’ album Red Book in 2005, Spiteri began work on her first album, Melody, which she would co-produce with Bernard Butler, she followed this up with The Movie Songbook two years later, as the name suggest she sang big songs from films including Sound of Silence and Windmills of Your Mind

Spiteri is a patron of the charity for children’s cancer CLIC Sargent. The charity provides supports for child cancer patients and their families across the UK, all the way from initial diagnosis to treatment and follow up care. They help families deal with the stresses of cancer, she is married to celebrity chef Bryn William

Texas played at Edinburgh Castle in July and Sharleen says she loves playing to her home country fans “It’s always very emotional to play back in Scotland,” she said. “You grow up here and I love that the audience are looking at you going ‘ok, we know that you’ve been playing these fancy shows, impress us’. And I will work my backside off to try and do that.”

#Scotland #scottish #singersongwriter #musician #guitarist #happy birhtday

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graphicpolicy · 2 years ago

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Dark Horse and Yoe Books present: Cartoonists Against Racism: The Secret Jewish War on Bigotry

Dark Horse and Yoe Books present: Cartoonists Against Racism: The Secret Jewish War on Bigotry #comics #comicbooks

Cartoonists Against Racism tells the remarkable unknown story of how a Jewish organization enlisted some of America’s most beloved cartoonists to undertake a nationwide campaign against bigotry in the 1940s and 1950s. Cartoonists Against Racism uncovers the secret campaign to flood America’s newspapers, classrooms, and union halls with anti-racist comics and cartoons. Meet the artists and the…

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#bernard seaman #bill mauldin #carl rose #cartoonists against racism #craig yoe #dark horse #Dark Horse Comics #dave berg #eric godal #frank hanley #mac raboy #mischa richter #rafael medoff #robert osborn #susannah heschel #vaughn shoemaker #williard mullin #yoe books

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whatthecrowtold · 2 years ago

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#unhallowedarts - The Flying Dutchman

“You certainly know the fable of the Flying Dutchman. It is the story of an enchanted ship which can never arrive in port, and which since time immemorial has been sailing about at sea. When it meets a vessel, some of the unearthly sailors come in a boat and beg the others to take a packet of letters home for them. These letters must be nailed to the mast, else some misfortune will happen to the ship—above all if no Bible be on board, and no horse-shoe nailed to the foremast. The letters are always addressed to people whom no one knows, and who have long been dead, so that some late descendant gets a letter addressed to a far away great-great-grandmother, who has slept for centuries in her grave. That timber spectre, that grim grey ship, is so called from the captain, a Hollander, who once swore by all the devils that he would get round a certain mountain, whose name has escaped me, in spite of a fearful storm, though he should sail till the Day of Judgement. The devil took him at his word, therefore he must sail for ever, until set free by a woman's truth. The devil in his stupidity has no faith in female truth, and allowed the enchanted captain to land once in seven years and get married, and so find opportunities to save his soul. Poor Dutchman! He is often only too glad to be saved from his marriage and his wife-saviour, and get again on board.“ (Heinrich Heine)

Ferdinand Leeke "The Flying Dutchman" (c 1905)

Naturally, Washington Irving naturalised him, quitting the Good Hope and sailing tof New Amsterdam to find redemption, the Flying Dutchman, Captain Vanderdecken, Tyn van Straten, van Diemen, van Evert, van Halen or Bernard Fokke of the VOC, the 17th century Dutch East India Company. Legend has it that he struck a with the devil to make the Java run in half the usual time. That he used iron yardarms, allowing him to have as much canvas aloft as possible, even when the feared Southeaster whipped the waters around the Cape that broke wooden spars on a regular basis – mere trivialities. He was, however, cursed to sail until Judgement Day, after he swore into the storm he would do exactly that until he rounded the Good Hope on his last voyage. The one he never returned from.

Ever since, his fluyt is seen in the Southern hemispheres, East of the Cape, with red sails flying in the sunset or bathed in a eerie red light, a portent of doom for those whose bows she crosses. Rich tales that not only inspired imaginative mariners, but professional storytellers as well, from Coleridge and Walter Scott to Hauff and Wagner and cohorts of 20th century journalists and pulp fiction writers. Ever since the 18th century. With the one from 1881 being the most prominent sighting, when HM frigate “Inconstant” encountered the Flying Dutchman with H future M George V on board, no less, who recorded in his log:

“July 11th. At 4 a.m. the Flying Dutchman crossed our bows. A strange red light as of a phantom ship all aglow, in the midst of which light the masts, spars and sails of a brig 200 yards distant stood out in strong relief as she came up on the port bow, where also the officer of the watch from the bridge clearly saw her, as did the quarterdeck midshipman, who was sent forward at once to the forecastle; but on arriving there was no vestige nor any sign whatever of any material ship was to be seen either near or right away to the horizon, the night being clear and the sea calm. Thirteen persons altogether saw her ... At 10.45 a.m. the ordinary seaman who had this morning reported the Flying Dutchman fell from the foretopmast crosstrees on to the topgallant forecastle and was smashed to atoms. “

There is, however, a later variant of the damned Dutch skipper’s tale, as told by Heine quoted above, the one that allows him to come ashore once every seven, ten or even hundred years, Brigadoon-like, and find a girl willing to love him, die with him and thus redeem the Flying Dutchman. Wagner famously elaborated on this version in the early 1840 after a rough but rather inspiring sea voyage, after reading Heine and being on the run from his creditors. Wagner made port in Norway twice. Where his Dutchman finds Senta who loves and dies for him and both finally ascend from the seas to heaven. Redemption. Since the last confirmed sighting of the “Flying Dutchman” was recorded in 1959 off Table Mountain, one must assume this is an operatic fable, though.

Contemporary Newspapers Clipping Reporting the Sighting of the "Flying Dutchman"

Heinrich Heine's Wagner- and yours-truly-inspiring aperçus from"The Memoirs of Herr von Schnabelewopski" can be read in full below:

#unhallowedarts #dark literature #dark aesthetic #dark art #ghost ship #folklore #dark folklore #flying dutchman #heinrich heine

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ltwilliammowett · 3 years ago

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Three Philanthropic Pirates

After the end of the war with France in 1686, the English king offered a pardon to all privateers and pirates who surrendered within twelve months and gave security for good behaviour. Early in 1688, perhaps intending to retire from seafaring, the pirate Edward Davis and two of his long-time shipmates, John Hinson and Lionel Wafer, travelled to Philadelphia and then on to Maryland. Also with them was Davis' slave Peter Cloise, who was from Curaçao.

Attack on a Spanish Treasure Ship, 1620, by Bernard Finnigan Gribble (1872-1962) (x)

From a sloop off the coast of Gloucester and Mathews County, Virginia, the four men transferred to another private vessel that took them to the Elizabeth River. On 22 June 1688, a royal warship, HMS Quaker, stopped and boarded the ship as it passed the mouth of the James River. The ship's officers discovered that the chests of Davis, Hinson and Wafer contained a large quantity of silver and gold and about 3,590 pieces of eight. Davis later estimated the value of the treasure at more than £4,000, not including a supply of pearls and precious stones. The three were, of course, immediately arrested and taken to Jamestwon, where they were immediately identified as pirates, even though they claimed they were not and that the treasure came from their trading activities. Imprisoned in James City County Jail on suspicion of piracy, Davis and his companions admitted the charge on 16 August 1688 and applied for a pardon from the king. They told the governor that they had intended to turn themselves in but had not dared because the king's offer of pardon had not yet been made public in Virginia. While the authorities in Jamestown were still waiting for a decision from the Crown, the three men instructed Micajah Perry, a prominent London merchant with numerous trading connections to Virginia, to petition the King for their release and the return of their property.

After a delay in the court proceedings, the Governor's Council released Davis, Hinson and Wafer on 30 April 1689, and the following year the three men sailed for England to recover their treasure. On 10 March 1692, the Privy Council granted their request after the three men agreed with James Blair, later president of the College of William and Mary, to donate £300 to "the pious plan of a free school and college in Virginia". The account books of the College of William and Mary in 1697 speak of £300 "received from privateers".

In 1699 Wafer published an account of his travels in which he also described his time with Davis, but he made no mention of piracy or of his imprisonment in Virginia, why should he, since he was now considered a benefactor of a college. The names Davis and Hinson no longer appear in the archives or in contemporary literature on pirates and privateers. It is possible, though unlikely, that Davis was the seaman of that name who testified in London in May 1697 about the defence of the Newfoundland fishery against the French; it is less likely that he was the seaman of that name who testified in Boston in July 1700 about the piracy of Captain William Kidd. The date and place of Edward Davis' death are not recorded.

#naval history #pirate history #naval anecdote #pirates founding a college #17th century #age of sail

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