A True Account of the Voyage of the Nottingham-Galley of London, John Dean Commander, from the River Thames to New-England

A modest merchant galley set sail from the River Thames in 1710, bound for the colonies of New‑England. When the vessel ran aground on the bleak Boon Island, its commander’s choices—attempting to betray the crew to the French and steering the ship ashore—quickly turned the voyage into a nightmare. The surviving sailors, led by the ship’s mate, boatswain and a regular seaman, have banded together to present a stark counter‑narrative to the captain’s published account.

For twenty‑four harrowing days the cast‑away crew endured relentless cold, dwindling provisions, and the grim reality of having to consume one of their own who fell ill. Their testimony, sworn before a local justice, details the extreme deprivations and the captain’s harsh treatment that they claim drove the disaster. Listeners will hear a vivid, first‑hand record of survival, authority gone awry, and a determined effort to set the historical record straight.