Many of theCaribbeanIslandsfrequently changed hands and nationalities during the 17th and 18th centuries. During the first fifty years of its settlement,Anguillawas attacked by Indians, French, Spanish and Irish. At times houses were burned, women seized and on one occasion the survivors evacuated for several weeks. The following account is of a ‘Spanish’ attack in December 1688, 38 years after the English landed. That year Abraham Howell was Lieutenant Governor and theIslandwas prospering…
After my humble service, these few lines are to acquaint you that on the 21st[December], our Island [Anguilla] was attacked by a sort of people under the notion of Spaniards, but there were withthem English, Irish, some Turk mulattoes, Negroes, and others. It was said by some, as one did inform me, having been their prisoner, that Captain Bear was with them, whatever truth or not I cannot tell.
They came to a vacant part of our island which had few inhabitants and there landed in the night, took a man and his wife prisoner who they did force to pilot them to a place calledthe Road, where they about two hours before day took some prisoners and wounded two men, who broke through them and escaped. They also took a woman and she being in their custody one held her by her hands and called her by her name, and asked the way and how far it was to my house, naming my name unto her. And, whilst he was examining her, a mulatto shot her in the belly with a load of carbine bullets. The woman I have now in care and the danger, I hope, is passed. This being done about four miles from my house.
About 8 in the morning, I met them with a small number of men and put a stop to their further progress; so they retreated and went to their ships and embarked leaving what prisoners they had of ours on shore with ten French prisoners which they had taken in sundry places, which I have since taken care of and have sent them to St Martins, one of which prisoners doth speak good Spanish and did inform me that he did hear the Spanish Commander say that he did intend for Spanish Town and Tortola…
They robbed the people of, as they informed me, to the value of fifteen hundred pounds current money and two negroes. The Commander in Chief did say he sent them on land not for such plunder, but for negroes and to take me. But, they went away with more expense of blood than they spilled of ours.
This week’s article owes a debt to Don Mitchell, whose tireless efforts in the National Archives revealed this gem fromAnguilla’s first generation of settlers…
