ABSTRACT
The so-called Glorious Revolution of 1688 ousted James II, brought William and Mary to the throne, and inaugurated a series of wars with France. As had been the case since the mid-seventeenth century these European wars spilled over into the Caribbean. The English victory was made possible by the fortuitous presence of two sizable East India Company (EIC) ships. Such ships became a prime target in wartime, as they carried highly valuable cargos. Ships captains collected news of conflicts in hopes of avoiding sailing unawares into enemy hands. The two EIC captains learned of the conflict in Ireland on St. Helena, and decided to make their way to the more heavily traveled Caribbean in order to meet up with other English ships with which they could form a convoy. Promises that their assistance would be made known to the authorities in England and to their employers at the EIC were partially fulfilled by dispatching this express news story.
