Chaptre, The 30th - Captain, My Captain

Nowe, my fellowe Foljambe, Olde Captain Hercules, hail ed frome the moste lovelie area of Plumley, England – sixx and twentie miles to The South and to The West of the greate citie of Manchester.

First, his fore name, Hercules. It is Greek in origin and means, “Son of Zeus.” The Olde Captain Foljambe was welle named, as olde Zeus was the Greek godd of Thunder.

Many a tale of this fellowe, Olde Captain Hercules, have passed their ways through my ears and my eyes, via written documents and family lore. Yet, I never met a family member who knewe him, nor did I ever meete Olde Captain Hercules my selfe.

Given family tales backe in Pitminster, I deduce thate given Olde Captain Hercules was nearly five and sixty years my elder, he may have beene a distante great, or great great, uncle of mine. Of this, I am not wholly certaine, but his age woulde put hime in those familiale positions, given what I know of hime and his dealings.

This fantastic Olde Captain Hercules was, late in lyfe, like Sir Walter Raleigh, a privateer for Queen Elizabeth. One in that positione in The English Court was also called a corsair or buccaneer, being a private sea faring business man, but also one given letters of marque by The Crowne to attacke – especially Spanish – foreign ships. This allowed England to muster sailors and arme ships with out taking the tyme and expense of fitting them oute as standard vessels of The Queen’s Royal Navy.

So, Olde Captain Hercules was allowed to legallie take prisoners, as welle as raide and plun der foreigne ships, withe outt feare of arreste by Queen and Country fore being an il legale pyrate.

This systeme is not under stoode correctly in your moderne day America. Privateers, corsairs and buccaneers were not the same as criminale pyrates of the high seas.

Pyrates were true thieving ruffians and murderous villains of the oceans blue and had no military or Royal authorization to boarde and scuttle ships. Pyrates were criminals and oute laws in the purest sense. Lyke Edward Teach, or Black Beard, the pyrate outt of Bristoll citie.

Privateers, corsairs and buccaneers didd the same worke, howe ever, bute to helpe England’s Royale navie, nott to simplie helpe them selves to other’s bootie as bandits of the highe seas.

Of course, true pyrates worked bothe sides of the plank here, and often posed as privateers, whenne the situatione suited them.

Thieving trouble, they were.

I believe, based on the afore mentioned stories I have hearde and letters I have read, that Olde Captain Hercules was borne in about The Year of Our Lord 1550.

He hadd an older brother, Godfrey, so Olde Captain Hercules was a bitt out of lucke, as the eldeste brother in traditionalle wealthie English families tooke alle, in terms of personalle in heritance.

So, Olde Captain Hercules did what moste male middle and younger siblings did, he became a professional soldier.

He labored at war on lande and sea for four decades – long and harde enough to later in life feele comfortable writing King James I, in the Year of Our Lord 1608, about his military service.  Olde Captain Hercules made a career doing battle for The Queen’s English armies.

Olde Captain Hercules didd moste of his fighting againste the Spanish in what the French nowe call Les Pays Bas, or The Low Countries: The Netherlands, the Dutch speaking Flanders regionne of Belgium and inn French Flanders, neare sweete and lovelie Normandie.

Fore his soldiering in The Netherlands, or Hollande, as you calle it, Olde Captain Hercules rose to become an officer – an English Army Captain.

Locally, in England, he also drilled militia knowne at that tyme as the famous Derbyshire Trayned Bandes, and also helde the rank of Band Captain.

Hence, all this Foljambe family lore about military Captaincy.

Again, you see, howe ever, it was Olde Captain Hercules who was the true professionale English Army Captain.

Not I.

Nowe, Olde Captain Hercules warred against bothe The Spanish and The French Catholic armies there on those flat, bloode soaked Netherlands Polders, trying to wreste Protestante Hollande from the Spanish and their allies, The French. Luckily, he survived bothe balle and blade untille the ryppe olde age of one and forty.

Back in England, by The Year of Our Lord 1591, Olde Captain Hercules was living in Ledsham, Yorkshire – West, I believe it was – and was called to the Foljambe family manor home, Moor Hall, in Derbyshire. His brother, the eldest Godfrey, had passed away. Suddenly, Olde Captain Hercules was heir to his father’s estate and the family residence, this wonder ful home, Moor Hall, at the age of one and forty.

Four years later, another Foljambe deathe made Olde Captain Hercules even wealthier and more power ful.

In The Year of Our Lord 1595, another Godfrey, a distante cousin, Sir Godfrey Foljambe of Walton, died and in his wille, Olde Captain Hercules was named as a partial heir.

A double stroke of goode lucke in deathe, one would thinke, no?

Sadly, as you shalle see, howe ever, the home and the monies were not goode fortune, but a curse.

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