Tales of Wreck of Pirate Ship Malignant

By H.B. Whidden

Older Residents of Village Remember Stories of Wreck of Pirate Vessel, Which Was Uncovered in 1923.

Antigonish, August 12.—One day, aid to be between 1740 and 1750, a sailing vessel ran ashore on the Northumberland Strait. “Malignant” was the name of the craft, which to this day remains as a mystery ship. It is a long time since this strange craft came to grief but only as recently as 1925 a party of three young men were engaged in digging for the treasure which legend says was buried not far from the resting place of the vessel.

Long before the failure of the trio of treasure-seekers, whose imaginations were fired in 1925 by the tales of the Malignant’s gold, dozens of men and children had searched in vain for the same prize. The chances are the mystery surrounding the alleged pirate ship and the spirit of adventure will continue to attract others to the quest from time to time. So far as is known no treasure has yet been found, not even an old coin.

Where the Malignant came from is apparently not known, but that she was wrecked at a point on the Gulf Shore, which was later called “Malignant cove” after her, before this part of Nova Scotia was inhabited by white people, has been established.

NO WRITTEN RECORD

There odes not seem to be any written record of this strange craft and her crew. Your correspondent had the pleasure of visiting Malignant Cove, or Milburn, to interview some of the oldest residents for the snug and picturesque little farming and fishing community regarding the ship. What is left of the Malignant lies tucked away under the sand on the beach which separates the Cove from the Strait the exact resting place being roughly about 250 yards west of J.G Rood and Company’s lobster factory.

Miss Ann MacDonald (Gow), a lady of 89 years, is the oldest resident of Milburn. Her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Dougald MacDonald, of Nougant Scotland, came to Nova Scotia in 1801, when they settled at Malignant cove. Mrs. MacDonald was a native of Arisaig Scotland.

The voyage to Caribou, Pictou County, from the Old Country on board the sailing vessel “Dove of Aberdeen”, occupied eleven weeks.

While the craft was at sea, epidemics of small pox and measles broke out among the passengers. Miss MacDonald’s father, Hugh Macdonald was five years old at the time. Tow of his brothers, who were also children were among the small pox victims and were buried at sea.

WAS QUARANTINED

After arriving at Caribou the “Dove of Aberdeen” was quarantined for three weeks. During that time or shortly afterwards, Mrs. MacDonald gave birth to a son at Caribou. The child was christened Donald, and subsequently settled at Big Marsh, Antigonish County. He died at a ripe old age.

The MacDonald family came in 1801 to Malignant Cove. At that time the Gulf Shore, as the shore along the Northumberland Strait is called—was sparsely settled chiefly by former British Soldiers who had been given grants of land at this place.

Dougald MacDonald bought a farm from John MacNeil (French) ex-soldier. Miss MacDonald’s sister, Mrs. John D. MacEachern showed the writer the original receipt given to her grandfather by Mr. MacNeil for the first payment (in pounds, shillings, and pence) on the property. Mr. MacDonald was a blacksmith.

REMEMBERS STORIES

His son Hugh married and settled at Malignant Cove, where their children were born. Miss Ann MacDonald’s earliest recollections are of the craft Malignant. As a child she heard a great deal about the vessel, “but, like all children, we didn’t pay the proper attention to what the older people were saying about the strange ship and other important matters in those days” she observed. For this reason when the earliest settlers along the Gulf Shore passed on and their children followed them, those that came next did not, it seems have any accurate record of the Malignant. Anything that is known about her coming in the Cove and the fate of her crew has apparently been verbally handed down from generation to generation.

Miss MacDonald says that she always understood that the vessel was either a warship or a pirate craft in the 70’s, there were no white settlers, at any rate, along the shore. It was supposed—and this is that storey that she always heard—that the vessel, being pursued by a warship or warships, endeavored to make the cove or inlet and escape. (This cove lies behind the beach and is connected to the waters of the Strait by a narrow channel, which changes its position occasionally.

CHASED BY A WARSHIP

It is believed that in attempting to escape from her pursuer or pursuers, the hunted Malignant grounded in or very close to the channel.

The fact that a number of cannon balls marked “R” were uncovered from beneath the sand short distances from the tomb of the ship, lent strength to the supposition that the Malignant had been chased and fired upon from the Strait by British guns. Some of the cannon balls are still in possession of Gulf Shore people.

As far back as Miss MacDonald could remember, people had been searching for the Malignant’s buried treasure. Although there seems to be no positive proof that the that the Malignant was a pirate craft and not a man-o-war, the general belief of the old settlers seems to have been that she was a buccaneer ship. How many men there were on board is not known, but there is good reason to believe that the bodies of a few of them were left at Malignant Cove.

Miss MacDonald said that it was understood that after living for a short time on or near the beach on a short distance from the wreck the survivors set off up the shore on foot into Pictou County.

TREASURE WAS BURIED

None of the land was tilled then, the Shore district being a wilderness. There was no road along the Gulf, and the stranded men, having to move along the Coast , were supposed to have buried the shop’s treasure in the immediate vicinity of the wreck, intending it is supposed, to return for it later under favorable conditions. Whether this is what actually happened almost 200 years ago, is not known, but it is at least a fact that ever since Miss MacDonald can remember, people have at different times been engaged at digging for Malignant’s treasure.

For a time, it was a common occurrence for treasure-seekers from Pictou, Antigonish and Guysboro Counties, and other parts also to look for the tempting prize, which some people to this day believe was buried at Malignant cove.

SEARCHES WERE FRUITLESS

Evidence of the many fruitless searches that have been made by persons who have been drawn, as if by a magnet to the place, are to be found in abundance.

The Scottish pioneers and ex-British soldiers were the first to take up the hunt, and it is safe to say that probably very few of the school children of the district, since the first school was opened at that Cove, have not on some occasion or another, been attracted to the task by the glitter of the alluring prize and the spirit of adventure.


	Tales of Wreck of Pirate Ship Malignant By H.B. Whidden Older Residents of Village Remember Stories of Wreck of Pirate Vessel, Which Was Uncovered in 1923. Antigonish, August 12.—One day, aid to be between 1740 and 1750, a sailing vessel ran ashore on the Northumberland Strait. “Malignant” was the name of the craft, which to this day remains as a mystery ship. It is a long time since this strange craft came to grief but only as recently as 1925 a party of three young men were engaged in digging for the treasure which legend says was buried not far from the resting place of the vessel. Long before the failure of the trio of treasure-seekers, whose imaginations were fired in 1925 by the tales of the Malignant’s gold, dozens of men and children had searched in vain for the same prize. The chances are the mystery surrounding the alleged pirate ship and the spirit of adventure will continue to attract others to the quest from time to time. So far as is known no treasure has yet been found, not even an old coin. Where the Malignant came from is apparently not known, but that she was wrecked at a point on the Gulf Shore, which was later called “Malignant cove” after her, before this part of Nova Scotia was inhabited by white people, has been established. NO WRITTEN RECORD There odes not seem to be any written record of this strange craft and her crew. Your correspondent had the pleasure of visiting Malignant Cove, or Milburn, to interview some of the oldest residents for the snug and picturesque little farming and fishing community regarding the ship. What is left of the Malignant lies tucked away under the sand on the beach which separates the Cove from the Strait the exact resting place being roughly about 250 yards west of J.G Rood and Company’s lobster factory. Miss Ann MacDonald (Gow), a lady of 89 years, is the oldest resident of Milburn. Her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Dougald MacDonald, of Nougant Scotland, came to Nova Scotia in 1801, when they settled at Malignant cove. Mrs. MacDonald was a native of Arisaig Scotland. The voyage to Caribou, Pictou County, from the Old Country on board the sailing vessel “Dove of Aberdeen”, occupied eleven weeks. While the craft was at sea, epidemics of small pox and measles broke out among the passengers. Miss MacDonald’s father, Hugh Macdonald was five years old at the time. Tow of his brothers, who were also children were among the small pox victims and were buried at sea. WAS QUARANTINED After arriving at Caribou the “Dove of Aberdeen” was quarantined for three weeks. During that time or shortly afterwards, Mrs. MacDonald gave birth to a son at Caribou. The child was christened Donald, and subsequently settled at Big Marsh, Antigonish County. He died at a ripe old age. The MacDonald family came in 1801 to Malignant Cove. At that time the Gulf Shore, as the shore along the Northumberland Strait is called—was sparsely settled chiefly by former British Soldiers who had been given grants of land at this place. Dougald MacDonald bought a farm from John MacNeil (French) ex-soldier. Miss MacDonald’s sister, Mrs. John D. MacEachern showed the writer the original receipt given to her grandfather by Mr. MacNeil for the first payment (in pounds, shillings, and pence) on the property. Mr. MacDonald was a blacksmith. REMEMBERS STORIES His son Hugh married and settled at Malignant Cove, where their children were born. Miss Ann MacDonald’s earliest recollections are of the craft Malignant. As a child she heard a great deal about the vessel, “but, like all children, we didn’t pay the proper attention to what the older people were saying about the strange ship and other important matters in those days” she observed. For this reason when the earliest settlers along the Gulf Shore passed on and their children followed them, those that came next did not, it seems have any accurate record of the Malignant. Anything that is known about her coming in the Cove and the fate of her crew has apparently been verbally handed down from generation to generation. Miss MacDonald says that she always understood that the vessel was either a warship or a pirate craft in the 70’s, there were no white settlers, at any rate, along the shore. It was supposed—and this is that storey that she always heard—that the vessel, being pursued by a warship or warships, endeavored to make the cove or inlet and escape. (This cove lies behind the beach and is connected to the waters of the Strait by a narrow channel, which changes its position occasionally. CHASED BY A WARSHIP It is believed that in attempting to escape from her pursuer or pursuers, the hunted Malignant grounded in or very close to the channel. The fact that a number of cannon balls marked “R” were uncovered from beneath the sand short distances from the tomb of the ship, lent strength to the supposition that the Malignant had been chased and fired upon from the Strait by British guns. Some of the cannon balls are still in possession of Gulf Shore people. As far back as Miss MacDonald could remember, people had been searching for the Malignant’s buried treasure. Although there seems to be no positive proof that the that the Malignant was a pirate craft and not a man-o-war, the general belief of the old settlers seems to have been that she was a buccaneer ship. How many men there were on board is not known, but there is good reason to believe that the bodies of a few of them were left at Malignant Cove. Miss MacDonald said that it was understood that after living for a short time on or near the beach on a short distance from the wreck the survivors set off up the shore on foot into Pictou County. TREASURE WAS BURIED None of the land was tilled then, the Shore district being a wilderness. There was no road along the Gulf, and the stranded men, having to move along the Coast , were supposed to have buried the shop’s treasure in the immediate vicinity of the wreck, intending it is supposed, to return for it later under favorable conditions. Whether this is what actually happened almost 200 years ago, is not known, but it is at least a fact that ever since Miss MacDonald can remember, people have at different times been engaged at digging for Malignant’s treasure. For a time, it was a common occurrence for treasure-seekers from Pictou, Antigonish and Guysboro Counties, and other parts also to look for the tempting prize, which some people to this day believe was buried at Malignant cove. SEARCHES WERE FRUITLESS Evidence of the many fruitless searches that have been made by persons who have been drawn, as if by a magnet to the place, are to be found in abundance. The Scottish pioneers and ex-British soldiers were the first to take up the hunt, and it is safe to say that probably very few of the school children of the district, since the first school was opened at that Cove, have not on some occasion or another, been attracted to the task by the glitter of the alluring prize and the spirit of adventure.

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