2:00 p.m, April 16, Blackstone Valley Historical Society, 1873 Louisquisset Pike, Lincoln, RI, 02865
Rhode Islander Jim Bailey will be returning to the Blackstone Valley Historical Society (BVHS) for a double feature at 2:00 pm on Sunday, April 16, 2023. He will provide a brief update of his presentation to the BVHS last year concerning the ongoing recovery of 17th Arabian silver coins in New England and their connection to the infamous voyage of Captain Henry Every of the pirate ship Fancy. Additional coin discoveries and some of his latest research findings will be discussed.
The main feature of his presentation recounts his experiences in finding the site of a long-vanished country estate in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. The estate belonged to Metcalf Bowler, one of the wealthiest men in Rhode Island on the eve of the Revolutionary War. While the site produced a number of exciting artifacts dating back to the 18th century, the history behind the artifacts proved to be far more significant. Over 240 years later, it’s hard to contemplate the magnitude of the decision that all Rhode Islanders had to face sooner or later: remain a loyal subject of England and join the fight for independence? We’ll look at one man’s decision.
Bio
Jim Bailey is a lifelong Rhode Islander from Warwick. He is happily married and has one daughter, one son, two dogs, and too much to do. His discoveries into the unknown history of Henry Every’s infamous pirating career is under development for a book and a docuseries film project.