Sussex Camock
| Sussex Camock | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1600 Maldon, Essex, England |
| Died | 1659 Boreham, Essex, England |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Privateer |
| Known for | Mosquito coast trading |
Sussex Camock or Sussex Cammock (1600–1659) was an English privateer who was involved in establishing the Providence Island colony, a Puritan colony on what is now Isla de Providencia in the western Caribbean. Sussex Camock was the brother of Captain Thomas Cammock.
Sussex Camock was born in Maldon, Essex, England in 1600. As a young man he served as ensign under the command of Sir Charles Riche, a relative of his mother, and participated in the unsuccessful Cádiz Expedition of 1625 led by Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex. In 1627 he was given command of the Little Neptune, part of the private fleet of Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick. The next year he was given command of the Warwick.
In December 1629 two ships funded by the Earl of Warwick discovered the islands of San Andreas and Santa Catalina in the western Caribbean off the coast of what is now Nicaragua. Camock with his bark Warwicke & Somer Islands remained on San Andreas, while Daniel Elfrith returned to England via Bermuda to report the discovery. At Bermuda, Elfrith's son in law Philip Bell was governor. Bell wrote a letter to Sir Nathaniel Rich, the Earl of Warwick's cousin, making the case for colonizing Santa Caterina. He described the island as "lying in the heart of the Indies & the mouth of the Spaniards." Thus it was an excellent base for privateering against the Spanish ships. Bell's letter led to the formation of the Providence Island Company to organize the settlement.
In April 1633. Camock was ordered by the Providence Island Company to bring a pinnace he had recently purchased for the company into the Thames and prepare her for a voyage as quickly as possible. On 1 July he was instructed to sail to Cabo Gracias a Dios, on the Mosquito Coast, by way of the Providence Island colony. He was to leave disorderly persons at Providence and take anyone from Providence who was willing to accompany him. At the Cape he was to contact the Indians and trade with them. He should preserve the true worship of God and repress sin. He was also authorized to buy negroes from the Dutch for the Governor of Providence to dispose of. Camock found the Dutch brothers Abraham and Willem Albertzoon Blauvelt at Providence, and they piloted him across to Cape Gracias a Dios on the mainland.
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