Here. The story is long, but here's where it all comes together: "Free on bail in the streets of London, the three ex-pirates were not
tried until 1692. The British judge was no more grounded in law than his
Virginian counterpart; while personally convinced that Wafer, Davis and
Hingson were pirates, he lacked the appropriate evidence to convict
them. Caught in between, he suggested a deal. If the supposed pirates
would donate a substantial portion of their treasure to a charitable
purpose, they would be exonerated. The ex-pirates complied. As the
pirates had been arrested in Virginia, it seemed only appropriate that
some portion of their treasure be reappropriated to Blair’s newly
endorsed college. In 1692, Wafer, Davis and Hingson contributed £300 of
loot to the College of William and Mary — over $900,000 in 2010 dollars.
Thanks to their coerced generosity, King William would eventually issue
a royal proclamation restoring the remainder of their treasure to them
and ensuring their freedom. Thereafter, Wafer was involved with the
failed Scottish colony at Darién, Panama; Davis returned to piracy in
Madagascar and was ultimately hanged.
In Virginia, the plan began to take shape in the years to
come, forming the beginnings of the College of William and Mary. Not
long after, Gov. Nicholson moved the colony’s capital from swampy
Jamestown to Middle Plantation, renaming it Williamsburg after his king.
The foundations of the College’s first building — now known as the
Wren, after its supposed architect — were built in part with the
proceeds from a life of piracy on the high seas."
Thursday, September 20, 2012
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"The problem with tainted money is that there tain't enough of it"
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