Read Elding (

fl. ''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...

1695–1730s) was a mixed British and African Barbadian who served as acting

Governor of The Bahamas This is a list of governors of the Bahamas. The first English settlement in the Bahamas was on Eleuthera. In 1670, the king granted the Bahamas to the lords proprietors of the Province of Carolina, but the islands were left to themselves. The l ...

from 1699 to 1701.

Biography

Born in

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate ...

, Elding moved to

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...

in 1695 and married Hannah Pemberton. They had a daughter named Hannah, born in

The Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the arc ...

and sent to Boston, and two sons. Hannah married Samuel Miller, whom was in his life elected

constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...

like his father Alexander. The Millers were related to

Benning Wentworth Benning Wentworth (July 24, 1696 – October 14, 1770) was an American merchant and colonial administrator who served as the governor of New Hampshire from 1741 to 1766. While serving as governor, Wentworth is best known for issuing several ...

. From Elding's two sons, his lineage is traced to families in the area of

Buxton, Maine Buxton is a town in York County, Maine, United States. It is part of the Portland metropolitan area. The population was 8,376 at the 2020 census. Buxton includes the villages of Salmon Falls/Tory Hill, Chicopee, Groveville, Bar Mills, West Buxton, ...

. In 1699, Elding was appointed by Governor Nicholas Webb to lead a fleet of five ships against pirate Kelly. He did not capture the pirate, but returned to Nassau with the ''Bahama Merchant'' from Boston. The ship's captain claimed Elding and his associates stole it and abandoned the crew. Elding left for

New Castle, Delaware New Castle is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The city is located six miles (10 km) south of Wilmington and is situated on the Delaware River. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 5,285. History New Cast ...

and returned when Webb made him deputy governor before his death on

New Providence New Providence is the most populous island in the Bahamas, containing more than 70% of the total population. It is the location of the national capital city of Nassau, whose boundaries are coincident with the island; it had a population of 24 ...

. He replaced the vice admiral judge with a man named Dalton and appointed his brother-in-law Parker and one of

Henry Avery Henry Every, also known as Henry Avery (20 August 1659after 1696), sometimes erroneously given as Jack Avery or John Avery, was an English pirate who operated in the Atlantic and Indian oceans in the mid-1690s. He probably used several alias ...

's men

marshals Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated o ...

. Elding was popular and fought piracy, notably having Hendrick van Hoven hanged in October 1699. He also banned correspondance with the Scots at Darién and complained of Danish activity. In 1701, Elias Haskett, who was dissatisfied with the state of affairs, became governor. Due to Haskett and newly appointed vice admiral judge Thomas Walker's corruption, Elding,

customs officer A customs officer is a law enforcement agent who enforces customs laws, on behalf of a government. Canada Canadian customs officers are members of the Canada Border Services Agency. It was created in 2003 and preceded by the Canada Customs and ...

John Graves, Ellis Lightwood, and

attorney general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

John Warren led a revolt. In October 1701, Haskett imprisoned Elding on grounds of piracy, seeking a bribe. Warren led a mob that freed Elding and imprisoned Haskett and Walker, with Lightwood being made governor. Haskett was stripped of his allegedly ill-gotten possessions and sent to New York City. In London he attempted to indict the men of piracy, but the cases fell through. During the

Raid on Nassau The Raid on Nassau, on the Bahamian island of New Providence, was a privately raised Franco-Spanish expedition against the English taking place in October 1703, during the War of the Spanish Succession; it was a Franco-Spanish victory, leading ...

, Lightwood was taken to

Saint-Domingue Saint-Domingue () was a French colony in the western portion of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, in the area of modern-day Haiti, from 1659 to 1804. The name derives from the Spanish main city in the island, Santo Domingo, which came to ref ...

, Walker fled to the

Abaco Islands Abaco is a variant Italian form of the Biblical name " Habakkuk" (but normally Abacùc or Abacucco). Abaco may refer to: People * Evaristo Felice Dall'Abaco (1675–1742), Italian composer and violinist * Joseph Abaco (1710–1805), Belgian comp ...

near

Walker's Cay Walker's Cay is the northernmost island in the Bahamas, part of the North Abaco district. Once a popular sport fishing location, the island has been deserted since 2004, following severe hurricane damage. The island is currently undergoing renovat ...

, and Elding to the

Out Islands The Out Islands are the islands that make up the Bahamas with the exception of New Providence Island, where the capital and largest city, Nassau, is located and Grand Bahama Island, where Freeport is located.David Hamilton-Jones, "Problems of In ...

; he was known to have still been in The Bahamas during the 1730s.

Sources

;Bibliography * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Elding, Read 17th-century births 18th-century deaths British governors of the Bahamas Barbadian pirates