Jeremy II
| Jeremy II | |
|---|---|
| King of the Miskito | |
| Predecessor | Jeremy I |
| Born | c. 1639 |
| Died | 1729 |
| Issue | Edward I, George I |
| Father | Jeremy I |
Jeremy II (c. 1639–1729) was King of the Miskito kingdom. Little is known about his reign, though he tightened relations with Great Britain through the colony of Jamaica.
Name and Succession
The dates of his succession to the throne and death are uncertain. Spanish sources refer to the king of the Miskito at this time as Bernabé, which is either another name of his, or perhaps another king who ruled at the same time as a rival, or during the period assigned to Jeremy. It is not clear if the king called Jeremy in the famous account of the pirate "M. W." ruled from 1687 when Jeremy was reported in Jamaica to 1729 or whether there were two kings named Jeremy. According to Michael Olien, given the age of Jeremy I in 1699 (age 60) it seems unlikely that he was the same Jeremy who was ruling in 1720 as this would make him 80.[1]
The Spanish governor of Costa Rica sent him rich presents for him to come and recognize Spanish sovereignty, but when his party was on the high seas, they were intercepted by English sloops and taken to Jamaica. On 25 June 1720, Nicholas Lawes, the governor of Jamaica signed a formal agreement with a Miskito king named Jeremy to provide 50 men to track down Maroons (former enslaved Africans who had escaped bondage) in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica.[2]