William Pote facts for kids

William Pote was a British surveyor and ship captain who lived from 1718 to about 1755. He is famous for writing a captivity narrative. This is a special type of story where someone writes about being captured and held prisoner.

Pote's story is one of the few captivity narratives from a place called Acadia, which is now part of Nova Scotia in Canada. He was captured by a group of Native American nations known as the Wabanaki Confederacy during a conflict called King George's War.

Who Was William Pote?

William Pote Jr. was born on December 15, 1718, in Marblehead, Massachusetts. He was the oldest son of William Pote and Dorothy Gatchell. Later in his life, he moved to Falmouth, which is now Portland, Maine.

By 1745, William Pote had become a ship captain. He was in charge of a merchant ship named the Montague. His job was to deliver supplies to Annapolis Royal, a town in Nova Scotia.

Captured at Sea

In 1745, during a battle known as the Siege of Annapolis Royal, something unexpected happened. William Pote and some soldiers called Gorham's Rangers were captured. They were taken prisoner by the Mi'kmaq and Maliseet people, who are part of the Wabanaki Confederacy.

This capture was a very important event for Pote. It led him to write his famous captivity narrative. This journal is one of the most important records from that time in Acadia and Nova Scotia.

Life as a Captive

During his time as a prisoner, Pote moved to different places. While in Cobequid, he heard an Acadian person say that French soldiers should have "left their [the English] carcasses behind and brought their skins." This shows how intense the feelings were during the war.

Pote also saw a naval battle near Tatamagouche. His journal is one of the main sources of information about this fight. The next year, Pote was taken to a Maliseet village called Aukpaque on the Saint John River.

On July 6, 1745, Pote and another captive faced harsh treatment. This was done by Mi'kmaq people from Nova Scotia. It was an act of revenge for family members killed by Ranger John Gorham. A few days later, on July 10, Pote saw another act of revenge at Meductic.

His Important Journal

Pote's journey as a captive to Quebec took four months. He was placed with a group of Hurons from Lorette, near Quebec City.

His journal is very valuable because it gives us a firsthand look at what life was like during this time. It shows the challenges faced by captives and the complex relationships between different groups during King George's War.