History - Kings Orange Rangers

40
had a dispute. Captain Howard took Doliver into custody. Doliver was later examined by
Perkins and the magistrates who subsequently dismiss him. 121 A more serious situation arose on
the 17th.
During the evening Lieutenant Stewart and a party of officers went to the house of Thomas
Pierce and accused him of assisting deserters and buying clothing from them. Pierce, his wife, a
Mrs. Giffin and the Pierce children, Amy and Elsie were put in jail. This information was given
to Perkins on the morning of February 18 by Seth Drew. Perkins met with Captain Howard who
agreed to discharge the two girls and put in a complaint to Sheriff Samuel Hunt against the
Pierces and Mrs. Giffin. A warrant was issued and the adults were released on their own
recognizance with an order to appear before the magistrates at 10 AM the next day. On the 19th
the accused appeared before Hunt and Perkins and were found guilty. Pierce and his wife were
fined £5/5s. and Mrs. Giffin the same amount. This would have been a very substantial sum. 122
On February 22nd Captain George Young of the privateer schooner Liverpool was informed by a
certain John Moody that Samuel Winslow was fleeing to New England and that he had hidden a
number of deserted seamen. He was taken from his shallop at La Have, confined on board the
Liverpool and taken to Liverpool. Here he requested Captain Howard to confine Winslow, but
Howard refused unless there was an oath against him. The next day Young brought Winslow on
shore to be examined. Both Perkins and Howard heard the matter at Mrs. Snow’s and were
satisfied that the complaint was vexatious and Winslow was dismissed. Young was not happy
with the certificate of release offered by Perkins and after Perkins and Howard left, “his people
were very riotous, & Abused Mrs. Snow in Language, and he spoke very Disrespectful” of
Perkins. 123
On March 17 Perkins noted in his diary: “St. Patrick’s day. The Soldiers get Drunk, fight &
make a Great Disturbance. Capt. Howard puts a number of them in jail.” On the 22nd Mr. Hunt
and Perkins dealt with another complaint by Captain Howard regarding purchase of soldiers’
clothing. Benjamin Godfrey, Stephen Page and Raphael Whealer were charged with buying
clothing and furniture from the soldiers. Godfrey and Page confessed to each buying “a Pattern
for a shirt”. Wheeler was cleared of taking a pair of shoes. Godfrey and Page were fined £5
each. Two thirds of the fine went to cover the cost of prosecution while the balance was shared
by Capt. Howard and the “complainer”. Howard forgave Page saying that he was a poor man,
did not understand the matter well and had previously employed a number of soldiers and had
paid them honestly. He further cautioned the people of Liverpool that they should avoid such
practises for he would not hesitate to prosecute anyone. He further offered that anyone who had
purchased articles to that point would be forgiven if they were returned to him. 124
Perhaps in order to reduce tensions between the King’s Orange Rangers and the community they
had been sent to protect, Howard on April 15th, approached Perkins with suggestions for
121 Ibid. p. 227.
122 Ibid. P. 228.
123 Ibid. P. 229.
124 Ibid. p. 232.
King’s Orange Rangers