Ben Pease
Encyclopedia
Ben Pease or Benjamin Pease, was a notorious Blackbirder
, engaged in recruiting and kidnapping Pacific islanders to provide labour for the plantations of Fiji
.
Pease was born in 1834 in Edgartown, Massachusetts
. He was youngest of seven children of Henry A. and Mary A. (Fisher) Pease. Pease was a ship's captain operating in the Pacific during the 1850s & 1860's. His elder brother was Captain Henry A. Pease, Jr., (1824–1892), who became a whaling ship master and was involved in the Whaling Disaster of 1871
and was later the U. S. Consul to Santiago, Cape Verde (1882–1892).
”. Pease may have greater claim than Bully Hayes
as being a South Sea pirate and "the last of the Buccaneer
s" as Pease appears to have been engaged in Filibusting
in his activities in the opium
trade after China
's defeat in the Second Opium War
in 1858, when it was forced to legalize opium and allow the importation of opium. However details of Pease’s involvement in this trade is uncertain. There are stories told that he was a captain of a gunboat
in the Imperial Chinese Navy
, that he was engagement in action against pirates along the coast of China; as well there are stories of Pease raiding trading Junks
along the coast of China
.
On 5 July 1865 Pease received the first licence to providing 40 labourers from the New Hebrides
to Fiji
. Alfred Restieaux records that in late in 1866 or early 1867, Pease was introduced to Mr. C. A. Williams a ship owner of New London, Connecticut
who bought a schooner
that was rename the Blossom. As captain of the Blossom Pease traded in the Marshall Islands
.
Pease purchased the Water Lily, a 250-ton brig
, which was built for the opium trade into China
and was later fitted out by Pease to engage in the blackbirding
trade in the Pacific. While there was some voluntary recruitment of Pacific islanders, the activities of Blackbirders
predominantly involved kidnapping, coercion and tricks to entice islanders onto Blackbirding
ships, on which they were held prisoner until delivered to their destination. In 1868 the Water Lily was in Manila
in the Philippines
being repaired and renamed the Pioneer.
to escape when Hayes was arrested in Apia, Samoa
on charges of piracy arising from his blackbirding
activities.
The account of the adventures of Hayes and Pease provided by James A. Michener & A. Grove Day Hayes is different in detail to that provided by Alfred Restieaux, an island trader who had dealings with both Hayes and Pease. What is consistent between the different accounts is that Hayes escaped from Samoa
on 1 April 1870 on the ship of Pease's ship the 250-ton brig
Pioneer. Hayes and Pease proceeded on a trading cruise in the Caroline Islands
and the Marshall Islands
. According to Alfred Restieaux, Hayes and Pease argued over the ownership of the cargo; Hayes claimed the cargo was his and that Hayes was merely carrying it as freight, while Pease claimed a half share in the cargo. Restieaux's account is that Hayes sold the cargo in Shanghai
; with Restieaux recounting two stories that he had been told about Pease's death: the first was that he drowned after jumping overboard from a Spanish Man-of-War, the second was that he was killed in a fight in the Bonin Islands. What happened to Hayes is uncertain. In any event when the Pioneer arrived back in Apia Hayes was in sole command with his explanation for this change in command being that Ben Pease had sold the ship to Hayes and had retired to China – an explanation that many doubted but would not or could not challenge.
Hayes renamed the ship the Leonora, which was wreaked in a storm while in Lelu harbour in what is now the Utwe-Walong Marine Park
on Kosrae
.
Blackbirding
Blackbirding is a term that refers to recruitment of people through trickery and kidnappings to work as labourers. From the 1860s blackbirding ships were engaged in seeking workers to mine the guano deposits on the Chincha Islands in Peru...
, engaged in recruiting and kidnapping Pacific islanders to provide labour for the plantations of Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
.
Pease was born in 1834 in Edgartown, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. He was youngest of seven children of Henry A. and Mary A. (Fisher) Pease. Pease was a ship's captain operating in the Pacific during the 1850s & 1860's. His elder brother was Captain Henry A. Pease, Jr., (1824–1892), who became a whaling ship master and was involved in the Whaling Disaster of 1871
Whaling Disaster of 1871
The Whaling Disaster of 1871 was an incident off the northern Alaskan coast in which a fleet of 33 American whaling ships were trapped in the Arctic ice in late 1871 and subsequently abandoned...
and was later the U. S. Consul to Santiago, Cape Verde (1882–1892).
Life
Pease was described by James A. Michener & A. Grove Day as being “a satanic looking rascal with a black spade beard – was a more openly piratical operator than HayesBully Hayes
William Henry "Bully" Hayes has been described as a South Sea pirate and "the last of the Buccaneers", who together with Ben Pease, engaged in blackbirding in the 1860s and 1870s. Hayes operated across the breadth of the Pacific in the 1850s until his murder on 31 March 1877 by his cook Peter...
”. Pease may have greater claim than Bully Hayes
Bully Hayes
William Henry "Bully" Hayes has been described as a South Sea pirate and "the last of the Buccaneers", who together with Ben Pease, engaged in blackbirding in the 1860s and 1870s. Hayes operated across the breadth of the Pacific in the 1850s until his murder on 31 March 1877 by his cook Peter...
as being a South Sea pirate and "the last of the Buccaneer
Buccaneer
The buccaneers were privateers who attacked Spanish shipping in the Caribbean Sea during the late 17th century.The term buccaneer is now used generally as a synonym for pirate...
s" as Pease appears to have been engaged in Filibusting
Filibuster (military)
A filibuster, or freebooter, is someone who engages in an unauthorized military expedition into a foreign country to foment or support a revolution...
in his activities in the opium
Opium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
trade after China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
's defeat in the Second Opium War
Second Opium War
The Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war pitting the British Empire and the Second French Empire against the Qing Dynasty of China, lasting from 1856 to 1860...
in 1858, when it was forced to legalize opium and allow the importation of opium. However details of Pease’s involvement in this trade is uncertain. There are stories told that he was a captain of a gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
in the Imperial Chinese Navy
Imperial Chinese Navy
The Chinese Imperial Navy came into existence from 1132 during the Song Dynasty to the end of the Qing period in 1912. Prior to 12th century, Chinese naval ships were not organized into a uniform force...
, that he was engagement in action against pirates along the coast of China; as well there are stories of Pease raiding trading Junks
Junk (ship)
A junk is an ancient Chinese sailing vessel design still in use today. Junks were developed during the Han Dynasty and were used as sea-going vessels as early as the 2nd century AD. They evolved in the later dynasties, and were used throughout Asia for extensive ocean voyages...
along the coast of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
On 5 July 1865 Pease received the first licence to providing 40 labourers from the New Hebrides
New Hebrides
New Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the islands...
to Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
. Alfred Restieaux records that in late in 1866 or early 1867, Pease was introduced to Mr. C. A. Williams a ship owner of New London, Connecticut
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
who bought a schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
that was rename the Blossom. As captain of the Blossom Pease traded in the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
.
Pease purchased the Water Lily, a 250-ton brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
, which was built for the opium trade into China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and was later fitted out by Pease to engage in the blackbirding
Blackbirding
Blackbirding is a term that refers to recruitment of people through trickery and kidnappings to work as labourers. From the 1860s blackbirding ships were engaged in seeking workers to mine the guano deposits on the Chincha Islands in Peru...
trade in the Pacific. While there was some voluntary recruitment of Pacific islanders, the activities of Blackbirders
Blackbirding
Blackbirding is a term that refers to recruitment of people through trickery and kidnappings to work as labourers. From the 1860s blackbirding ships were engaged in seeking workers to mine the guano deposits on the Chincha Islands in Peru...
predominantly involved kidnapping, coercion and tricks to entice islanders onto Blackbirding
Blackbirding
Blackbirding is a term that refers to recruitment of people through trickery and kidnappings to work as labourers. From the 1860s blackbirding ships were engaged in seeking workers to mine the guano deposits on the Chincha Islands in Peru...
ships, on which they were held prisoner until delivered to their destination. In 1868 the Water Lily was in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
being repaired and renamed the Pioneer.
Ben Pease & Bully Hayes
In 1870 Ben Pease assisted Bully HayesBully Hayes
William Henry "Bully" Hayes has been described as a South Sea pirate and "the last of the Buccaneers", who together with Ben Pease, engaged in blackbirding in the 1860s and 1870s. Hayes operated across the breadth of the Pacific in the 1850s until his murder on 31 March 1877 by his cook Peter...
to escape when Hayes was arrested in Apia, Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
on charges of piracy arising from his blackbirding
Blackbirding
Blackbirding is a term that refers to recruitment of people through trickery and kidnappings to work as labourers. From the 1860s blackbirding ships were engaged in seeking workers to mine the guano deposits on the Chincha Islands in Peru...
activities.
The account of the adventures of Hayes and Pease provided by James A. Michener & A. Grove Day Hayes is different in detail to that provided by Alfred Restieaux, an island trader who had dealings with both Hayes and Pease. What is consistent between the different accounts is that Hayes escaped from Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
on 1 April 1870 on the ship of Pease's ship the 250-ton brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
Pioneer. Hayes and Pease proceeded on a trading cruise in the Caroline Islands
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
and the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
. According to Alfred Restieaux, Hayes and Pease argued over the ownership of the cargo; Hayes claimed the cargo was his and that Hayes was merely carrying it as freight, while Pease claimed a half share in the cargo. Restieaux's account is that Hayes sold the cargo in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
; with Restieaux recounting two stories that he had been told about Pease's death: the first was that he drowned after jumping overboard from a Spanish Man-of-War, the second was that he was killed in a fight in the Bonin Islands. What happened to Hayes is uncertain. In any event when the Pioneer arrived back in Apia Hayes was in sole command with his explanation for this change in command being that Ben Pease had sold the ship to Hayes and had retired to China – an explanation that many doubted but would not or could not challenge.
Hayes renamed the ship the Leonora, which was wreaked in a storm while in Lelu harbour in what is now the Utwe-Walong Marine Park
Utwe
Utwe is the second-largest municipality in the Micronesian state of Kosrae, the largest being Tafunsak.-Geography:Utwe occupies the very South of the island, but has no coast on its East border. As of 1994, the total population of Utwe was 1,056...
on Kosrae
Kosrae
Kosrae , formerly known as Kusaie, is an island in Micronesia. The State of Kosrae is one of four states of the Federated States of Micronesia, and includes, besides the island of Kosrae, about a dozen satellite islands and islets, the most significant of which is Lelu Island.-Geography:With a...
.